Moon River
by turnaroundeverynowandthen
Summary: During the last leg of an international tour, Rose finds herself at odds with the burgeoning music act she's been put in charge of. Can she manage an out-of-control lead-singer, a familial clash, a rabid fan-base, a demanding record label, and most of all, the ever-increasing hammerings of her heart whenever a certain blonde bandmate appears? Post-Hogwarts. Slow-Burn.
1. Two Drifters

She could feel it… she could physically feel the anticipation in the arena, even from where she was situated backstage. The chants from the crowd would be enough to get your heart racing…

" _Gol-den!" *clap clap* "Tri-o!" *stomp stomp*,_ " _Gol-den!" *clap clap* "Tri-o!" *stomp stomp*_

She had heard all of it before… the roar of the crowd… the deafening screams...the ruckus of a full bodied crowd… but somehow, this evening felt different. There was an intensity, an electricity, a sense of (dare she say it) ...magic?

" _Gol-den!" *clap clap* "Tri-o!" *stomp stomp*,_ " _Gol-den!" *clap clap* "Tri-o!" *stomp stomp*_

The name had started off as a joke, an ironic jab to dull the ache of a life weighed down by silent expectation. Because they _so_ weren't. Golden, that is. At this point, all three were truly one shade slight of being the dark marks on proverbial family trees.

But now, in the same way the phrase had been branded onto their person as a detached notion of who they were, something out of any control, with a weight "I _didn't ask for"_ , it was commercially sealed, something they took back, re-appropriated and gave their own powers to on a seemingly innocuous night fueled by teen angst and fire whisky.

" _Gol-den!" *clap clap* "Tri-o!" *stomp stomp*,_ " _Gol-den!" *clap clap* "Tri-o!" *stomp stomp*_

The music had saved them, or, at least, thats what Rose believed. Ginny or Mum may say otherwise, but Rose knew where Al had been before that fateful Muggle Studies class. She'd talked him off the ledge too many times to believe otherwise. Music had saved him. She could only imagine it had done the same for Scorpius…

While before, the hushed and worried whisperings between parents would consist of _…anti-social behavior…missing class…marks dropping…can't get a word out of them…_

They then turned into full blown shouting matches _"Galleons on records!? I'm not made of money, Albus!" "Rose Weasley, you will NOT be going to a midnight concert, I don't CARE that it's Aurora Borealis or Hippo-Gruff playing- or whoever it is, you aren't going!" "After hours shows at school?! Who do you both think you are?! You can't use your common room as your own personal venue! Not when your test scores are this atrocious"_

Their apathy may have transformed into full blown deviance, but at least there was an energy, an electricity in their actions. Before, Rose and Al felt suffocated; the heaviness of their namesake felt devastating and inescapable. After the music, the sullen and withdrawn youths turned into fiery, aggressive teens whose drive and passion left many burnt in their wake.

The music got to Al first. He had always been one to play closer attention to WWN's 'Magical Music Hour', or get caught up leafing through grandpa's attic-banished collection of muggle records, but it wasn't until his 4th year MS class, and a course on classical European instruments turned his inclination into a full blown obsession. From the very first strum, he could feel something powerful happening inside him. He felt calm and collected. For the first time in his life he wasn't thinking about his incomparable older brother, his worrying mother, his domineering family, his house loyalty, or his father…whose words spoke of understanding and trust, but eyes always said otherwise. He was in control.

It had been months before he shared his secret with Rose. Hearing him play for the first time, stirred something deep inside her. A longing for something she barely could recognize in herself. What he played was unlike anything she had heard before.

Before she knew what was happening, his music inspired a tidal waves of words, seeming to truly pour out of Rose. All the thoughts and feelings trapped beneath her surly exterior, the things she could never confess to her mother or find solace in a friend, came out in prose and poetry Rose was stunned by. They spent an entire summer, hidden in the aforementioned attic, writing song after song; Al taking the lead vocally, with Rose harmonizing with her small voice.

Back at school, students began to notice a change in the two previously unapproachable cousins. It was not uncommon to see Al walking around with a guitar slung round his shoulder; the token red-head by his side intensely scribbling at a notebook. At the urging of a fellow Slytherin, Al put on his first performance in the house common room. It took a bit more than pumpkin juice to finally calms his nerves enough for him to stand on stage, but by the end of the first song, it was as if a spell had been cast on the silver-toned crowd. Usually, jaded to the point of boredom these Slytherins were absolutely awestruck. Albus was soulful, sensitive, energetic and charismatic all at the same time, he completely commanded every eye in the room. Everyone present that evening could sense that they were privy to something much, much bigger.

By 5th year, Albus wanted to expand on his sound and bring things to the next level. Enter Scorpius Malfoy.

Rose wasn't sure if it was a genuine fondness between the two of them, or an equal desire to really stick-it to their fathers…either way, at some point in their time at Hogwarts, being stuck in the same house, they had become aware of each others presence and developed a somewhat mutual respect for one another.

The music had been ahold of Scorpius for longer than he could remember. Where Albus was self-taught and relatively unrestrained in his musical approach, Scorpius was classically trained with technical perfection (the benefit of having a doting mother with privilege to an ample Gringotts vault). Albus played what he felt, what he heard. Scorpius could tell you what you were playing, why you were playing it and he knew exactly what to tweak to bring it to an entirely different place.

All of a sudden, it was three. One unpredictable and unrestrained, one determined and passionate; the newest addition, serious and enigmatic… All three drawn together by a more unifying and mysterious magic than the one practiced.

A pulsing of her wand brought Rose out of her revery. _Red hue…and emergency, must be Tommy…always an emergency with him,_ she thought. She flicked her wand up, the red hue swirling in front of her

" _Rosie, love!_ " a heady voice shouted from the mist _"How's Belgium, I hear the weather's beautiful this time of year!"_

"Barely portkeyed in this morning, Tom" Rose interjected, "Boys have been sleeping, and I came down early for sound check. Haven't had much of a chance for sight seeing"

" _Always the hard worker, time for a vacation soon, right love?"_

Rose rolled her eyes, _Right_.

" _Listen, the boys are on tomorrow with Ada Drimscle, 10:30. 5 hour junket Can you make sure they're at least presentable?"_

"Of course, Tom." Rose internally dreaded the tirade or protests she would receive from the band members come the morning.

" _I'll have Deliah send over details in a bit. You'll be landing in Paris. Have a croissant for me, right love?"_

" _A_ nything for you, Tom" she replied, sardonically.

Her wand pulsed once and the red hue along with Tommy's _"Ciao"_ quickly disappeared.

Almost as if on cue, Marty their drummer, a truly unaffecting boy with large eyes, an aimless personality and a fortunate rhythmic inclination, came running toward her.

"Rose-hey!" There was a hapless smile on his face, but she could see a swirling of worrying staved beneath this exterior, "Rose! It's Al…"

 _Oh Gods. Not again._

"He's… um… he's not coming out-hey. He says he needs to talk to you.."

Rose let out a frustrated groan, and began to book it towards the dressing rooms.

"You lot are supposed to be on in less than 5 minutes! Can you make sure to let him know that next time he decides to have an existential crisis, he needs to do it _after_ you've performed?"

Marty laughed nervously, barely keeping up behind her, "Will do-hey! Next time!"

As she reared upon her destination, she was aware of the expectant glances from crew members. _It's fine, I'll handle it…_ she tried to convey.

"I've been kicked out.." she heard a low voice say to her. She rounded the corner, running into Nadia, makeup artist, "If he decides to come to his senses, let me know." She gave Rose a knowing look, "I'm taking a smoke break."

"I'm so sorry, Nads" Rose called out over her shoulder, "I'm buying you a drink when we're through!"

A wordless wave from Nadia was all Rose could catch as she practically sprinted down the hallway.

A slumped figure sat at the end of it, head resting on his knees. He slowly rose as he heard her footsteps get closer.

Scorpius.

He looked resigned. His face colorless, his eyes lacking their usual snap. A weary expression. He began to open his mouth to speak. She didn't let him.

"I know." she said, calmly, "I know you tried, you don't have to tell me.", a small smile.

His eyes softened, he let out a sigh. A moment of understanding passed between them.

It didn't last long.

A small feminine giggle could be heard from the other side of the dressing room door.

 _Of course she's here…_ Rose could feel her skin crawl, the frustration growing deeper still. She placed her ear to the door.

"Al!" She shouted, firmly. "Albus Potter!"

Silence.

"Al, what in the bloody hell is wrong with you?"

Continued silence.

"Al, you know I can and _will_ blow this door off in an instant, so for the sake of you and me and this beautiful venue that has been _so_ generous as to ask you to come perform, please, I beg of you, open the god damn do-"

A resounding click signaled Roses momentary triumph.

There was a veritable squalor awaiting Rose when she opened the door. Empty bottles, toppled chairs, a mysterious green powder in lines on a low table. _Oh Al…_

More upsetting than any of this, however, was the waif-like, wide-eyed skirt currently draped across her tantrum-ing cousin. Al's latest simpering slag.

"Posey." Rose commanded in a steely tone "Out."

The young girl looked at her blankly, barely registering the presence of the domineering red-head. Rose took steps toward her. She could see Posey now sizing up the threat.

In a voice like ice, she repeated. "Out…Now."

She knew Posey was more scared of her than devoted to Al, so she quickly hopped off him and haughtily wobbled out of the room.

Rose turned on her cousin, her anger barely contained beneath her subdued exterior.

"Rosie, I can't…I just can't" His head was rocking slightly, his eyes glassy and partly vacant. He looked awful.

"You're drunk!" She shouted, waving her wand; the room slowly beginning to assemble itself. "I can't believe you."

"I promise you, I'm not!" He rebutted.

Rose scoffed, gesturing to the steady clink of glass bottles slowly filling the waste bin.

"Pos and I- we just had a few drinks. I'm fine, I swear!" He got up suddenly, teetering slightly "it's not that, I just can't go on stage, I can't!"

Rose ignored his protests, making her way to the bathroom to fill a glass of water.

"You go on in two minutes." she said, handing him the glass, "Drink this."

He dramatically threw up his hands and turned from her, "I told you, I'm not going on! You're just going to have to tell them I'm not showing and we'll have to cancel the whole thing. People will understand…I can't do it"

She placed the water on the table beside her, ignoring traces of the faint green dust. _Another conversation for another time._

"You keep saying that.", she sighed.

"It's because I mean it." he said, throwing himself back down on the sofa. "My dad sent another letter."

Rose kept her voice emotionless. "And what did it say?"

"…I didn't open it. I couldn't."

"Are you joking me, Al?"

"Pos doesn't think I should have to. She thinks it'll upset me too much. She doesn't think I should have to go on either."

"Oh! So _she's_ the proverbial voice of reason around here now, is she?! I should hope not." Rose barely managed to keep the mirth out of her voice.

The shadow of a figure loomed in her eyesight. Scorpius silently leaned against the door frame. Thankful to no longer be one-on-one with the _man-child_ currently fuming around the dressing room, she upped her game.

"Fine.", She countered. "Don't go on. Scorpius and Marty can do the show without you. Your fans will be disappointed, but not as disappointed as they'll be when we tell them you couldn't bare to make an appearance due to a mysterious letter from your father and a belligerent girlfriend!"

"Rose-it's not like that-"

"-In fact!" she interjected, letting the anger finally boil over. A calculated effect "Why don't I go out on stage and tell everyone myself that this will be the very last show Golden Trio will ever perform, because not only is their lead singer too far up his own ass to understand how much this means to everyone", she began to slowly walk towards him, "but their manager, the one who has tirelessly worked for years and _years_ to bring this beloved musical spectacle to where it is now, is leaving, due to the fact that she is sick and tired of dragging a tantrum-ing _child_ on stage every night, when she could be doing something _lovely_ by comparison, like breeding Mandrakes in Siberia!"

They stared each other down. Al's exterior was resolute, but she could see the inner conflict. She knew she had won… _This time._

"R-Rose" He sputtered, "The letter- my Dad- I can't"

"Al… I'll pull the card. You know I will" She countered in a low tone, for extra measure. She didn't like resorting to it, but this time, he bloody deserved it. "Don't make me."

His eyes narrowed, not yet ready to admit defeat. "Rose-"

"-At least you have a Dad to write you letters."

The low blow. Last cartridge in her firearm. She could hear an exhale of breath from Scorpius behind her, "I would… _love_ the luxury of ignoring a well-meaning letter from my father, Al, but we both know that isn't possible. Do I need to remind you _why_ it's not possible?"

Al's eyes lowered, a final accept of defeat.

"You have ten seconds." She said, quietly, "Ten seconds to walk out this door and get on that stage to your adoring fans or I'm done. One way ticket to Siberia. I'll stop and visit my dead father along the way. Send him your love."

She turned quickly, walking past Scorpius and out into the hallway. They locked eyes for a moment. A knowing look shared between the two of them.

She leaned against the wall for a beat, taking a deep breath and silently counting down.

 _4…3…2…_

—

" _How're you feeling tonight Brussels?!"_

The response from the crowd was deafening.

Rose had to admit, these moments were what made all she did worth it. All the late nights, the tireless treks from city to city, managing schedules, press agents, stylists, fans, _girlfriends…_ All of it. They were truly spectacular to watch. So much fire and energy and talent… seeing them come alive on stage was what made her tired and jaded heart soar. Al and Scorpius had such a genuine stage presence, and Marty (who hadn't any talent for much else) was a commanding and engaging percussionist. You couldn't help but be mesmerized by the trio.

A shriek from beside her caused a momentary lapse in her revery. _Speaking of girlfriends…_ Posey was standing next to her having a veritable conniption at the sight of the boys playing on stage.

Rose rolled her eyes, casting a silent spell between them. The shrieking was thankfully now just a dull murmur.

 _That's the problem with watching everything backstage…_ Rose thought, _You can't lose yourself in a crowd… You're very much stuck with the present company…_

Posey's shrieking continued… So much so, a particularly guttural scream caught the attention of the three performers on stage. _Got to give her credit for tenacity…_ Rose thought.

Both Marty and Al glanced over for a moment, registering the noise as less of a threat, and more of a passionate declaration of love (something they were used to). Scorpius, on the other hand, looked briefly at Posey but his eyes quickly moved to Rose and locked there.

His expression was…confused? Startled? Rose was unable to read it. He seemed to be uncertain of his own reaction. For a brief instant, Rose was worried there was some commotion happening behind her. She turned around to face the threat, but there was nothing. When she turned back, he was attending to the crowd at hand. The moment lasted for neigh of a second, but it left Rose a bit shaken, wondering as if it had really happened, or if she had merely imagined it.

 _It had been a very long day…_

—

4am. It was four bloody am in the morning.

After a show, there was always a mild ruckus. There was the final song… and then the encore…and then the final _final_ song…then the goodbye…Then the backstage crowd…always a friend from from school… or a _friend of a friend…_ or a introduction from a wizard of an _elevated_ status… there was always _some bottle_ or another being passed around…

This, Rose didn't mind much. Once the show was over, the majority of her job was done. She would even indulge in a sip or two (or three) from the aforementioned bottle. It was always a bit fun seeing who might come through the backstage doors. Many a night, the company was promoted to an evening-long companion for one of the bandmates. Hell, even Rose herself could count more than a few backstage guests who had struck her fancy and _somehow_ found their way into her hotel room later in the evening. (A sizable party currently making an impression in the green room was the German Minister of Magic's young daughter and her gaggle of friends. Definitely a bit of a keen eye for Albus. He didn't mind. Posey definitely did.)

By the time the crew had packed up, the stadium had cleared out and the _dummerchen_ had their pop star fix, it was… _late._

—

" _Woooo! I love Belgium, Rosie… The nicest people…truly…just…So lovely"_

4am. It was four bloody am in the morning.

They had just portkeyed into Paris.

In classic Tommy-fashion, the hotel they were meant to be posted in for their stay in the city, was either mis-informed of their arrival time or couldn't be bothered to stay open till they got there.

Either way, they were stranded in the streets of Paris, with no where to rest their heads for the night. Another shout from Al broke the silence of the early morning.

"Al, shush!" Rose chastised, "You're going to wake the entire street". She was doing her best to alert the hotel owner, and not wake up the entire city while she was at it.

Al was two _or more_ sheets to the wind. Marty was close on his heels, and Scorpius, true to form, was losing his patience.

"I hope you aren't truly _devastated_ by our geographic relocation, Al" his eyes were closed, he was sitting on the sidewalk outside, leaning against the brick wall of the building, "but, if you hadn't noticed, we are no longer in Belgium."

Al, who was slowly spinning round a lamppost, fire whisky bottle in hand, stopped for a moment and looked at his friend expectantly.

Scorpius didn't even bother to open his eyes, "nous sommes à paris, mon ami", he said quietly.

Al widened his eyes and turned his head around slowly, as if taking in his surroundings for the very first time, "Bloody hell!" He shouted, again breaking the silence, "I _love_ Paris!"

"Al!" Rose turned on him sharply, "I mean it! Shush up or find somewhere else to be. Somewhere you can be as belligerent as you insist on being right now."

He jumped down from his lamppost, and ran up to Marty, who was slumped in a corner.

"Mart!", he said shaking the boy vigorously, "Mart! We're in Paris!", he continued to shake, "Paris!"

Mart was awakened from his stupor and convinced to find the nearest open establishment where he and Al could refresh their libations.

"Scorp, we're in Paris! Come with! They'll be birds a'plenty 's my guess. -French birds at that", he raised his brow

"French hens!" interjected Marty, his small body bouncing about in an attempt to stay warm.

"Absolutely not.", he countered, resolutely, still not opening his eyes. "Freezing out here is a welcome alternative to watching you two make fools of yourselves for the rest of the evening" He opened his eye to look at his watch and sighed, "Well- morning."

Al barely registered this as a response, "Suns not out yet, mate!"

Scorpius's eyes met with Rose momentarily, "Besides, someone's got to stay here with Weasley" quirk of an eyebrow, "Keep her safe. Fend off… mimes."

"Suit yourself!" Al called out, as him and Marty jauntily wandered down the street arm in arm,

"Al! You've got to be back here in less than 4 hours!", Rose called out " _Please_ keep your wand on you!"

" _Ferme La!"_ , shouted a voice from one of the apartments above. Scorpius chuckled.

"Of course" Rose, said exasperatedly, "He's out here making an absolute racket, and I raise my voice _once_ and I get told to shut-up"

" _Sacre bleu…_ " Scorpius said in a quiet, almost sarcastic tone. His eyes were closed again, his head leaning against the wall. Rose sighed.

"I'm going to try the manager one more time.." she said quietly, almost to herself. After another half hour of unanswered calls and fruitless banging on doors, Rose was disheartened and even more exhausted than she had been before. She had been looking forward to a hot shower and a small bit of rest before the insanity of the tour began again.

She slumped down against the wall and sighed, laying her head on her knees and allowing her hands to drop to the floor. Defeat. She was…so tired.

"M" she heard Scorpius say, softly. She assumed he had fallen asleep. His slow, steady breathing being the one calming presence in her frazzled attempts to get them a place to sleep.

"Come again?" She said, now seeing a small flask in her peripheries. He was offering. She was thankful.

"M" He said, again, opening his eyes and looking at her. "You go first. I went first last time."

Their game. Well, not _their_ game. Just a game… That they played.

"Oh, hmm…" She grabbed the flask in his outstretched hand and took a swig, grateful for the warmth. "M..aggie Magpyie."

"…Ministers of Mayhem."

It started when they were much younger, and had first began playing shows. Lots of tension, even more waiting around. The game became an easy way to pass time.

"Muffy Lato." Another swig.

One of them would give a letter and they would go back and forth naming as many musical artists as they could think of until they could name no more.

Talking, _really talking_ , didn't come easy for either one of them. The game was a safe place, especially in moments when their words seemed to fall short of escaping their mouths.

"Michael Jackson."

"I thought we said 'no Muggle artists' last time we played" Rose teased, "Because you _will_ win if I acquiesce on that point."

"I _still_ win no matter what, Weasley" she could hear a smile in his voice. He paused, "Fine. No muggle-music… Mr. Moke"

"No, no! I'll play your game" She laughed, passing back the flask "I've been brushing up on my _music history…_ um…"

"I'm waiting…"

"Shush- I can't think… Madonna!" She shouted, widening her eyes at her own volume. " _Madonna.."_ she whispered.

"You're going to make even more enemies if you keep that up." another eyebrow quirk, "But good one. Hmm… Meat Loaf."

"Is that a band?"

"No, he is a delightfully eccentric American artist." He took a drink.

"…I barely believe you. But I'm too tired right now to care" She breathed, leaning her head against the wall, staring up at the barely visible stars.

Another deep breath, "Mariah Carey."

A pause from Scorpius, "Who is that?"

She narrowed her eyes and turned her head to look at him, "You've never heard of Mariah Carey? _You?_ I can guarantee she's more well-known than _Meat-Ball"_

"Meat _Loaf_ , love"

He coughed, seemingly caught off guard by his own words. "Ahem- but this…Mariah…I've never heard of her."

"Oh come on, she's got that… insane muggle Christmas song?"

He looked at her expectantly.

"You know.." She could feel _whatever was in his flask_ begin to melt her inhibitions "It's like… _make my wish come true…"_ her voice got high and sing-song, " _All I want for Christmas… is you…"_

She caught a mischievous look in his eye.

"You arse!" She smacked his arm, "You total arse."

"Shh!" He said, chuckling "You'll get another shouting-to from our neighbors. "

"I can't believe you made me sing that. You knew the whole time."

"It was wholly decent, Weasley" he smiled at her. "Mariah would be proud." She narrowed her eyes at him and grabbed the flask from him.

"I'm confiscating this" she said, taking another large swig. "It's mine. You can have it back in the morning. After the junket."

Scorpius groaned. "What time does that begin again?"

"Your first interview is at 9…"

"And it's now 5…" he sighed, resigned.

Rose shivered. The early morning mist was beginning to settle. She felt a sudden warmth around her. The freezing brick wall she was sat against became as cozy and inviting as a fire-warmed den. She looked over at Scorpius, to see if he had noticed the sudden change.

He was holding his wand between the two of them, a warming-spell cast, enveloping both. Rose's heart twinged. _Dangerous move, young lady._ She put the flask down, contemplating the possibility that being _out_ of her right mind wouldn't exactly be an aide considering her tired state and her…surroundings.

"Thanks" She sighed, leaning her head back against the wall and closing her eyes. The warmth and the booze mixed was making her very aware of how tired she truly was. Her head began to nod.

"Do you always stand backstage and watch us?" the words seemed to tumble out of Scorpius.

"…Yeah" She said slowly, "I'm usually backstage.."

"You stay and watch the whole time?"

"If I don't get pulled away, yeah" Rose said

"I'd never realized you were there", he seemed to be searching for his words, "I'm typically not looking off to the side when I'm on stage."

"Got to hand it to Posey" Rose joked, "She grabbed the attention of all three of you"

Scorpius smiled, but it didn't reach is eyes. "The power of Posey…" he said softly

"The power of Posey…" Rose repeated, even softer, "Sounds like a band name. Maybe I'll go ahead and manage them as well.."

Scorpius didn't laugh. He didn't hear her. He was off in his own world for a minute. Rose began to nod off again.

"Ro-Weasley, I-"

His voice snapped her out of her dozing. "Hm?".

She looked at him. She realized this was the first time she had _really_ looked at him since Al and Marty left. They shared many knowing, exasperated, understanding looks with one another in the time spent together day to day, but it was always in a crowd, or around Al. When it was just the two of them, alone, unencumbered by Al's domineering and flamboyant presence, or the pressures of running one of the most successful musical acts of their generation, Rose found it very hard, for some reason, to…well…look at him.

She couldn't exactly put her finger on it, but whenever she felt his gaze on her with no one else around, she began to get…uneasy? Not exactly that.. Something about his gaze made her heart pound a bit harder and her stomach churn unexpectedly.

Like now. She was looking at him, eyes flitting from his his face to his hands…his ears…his mouth…desperately seeking asylum anywhere but his eyes.

He was, again, searching for words. He was bouncing his leg, something she'd seem him do countless times before shows or events, something she knew he only did when he was nervous. _Oh god…what's he going to tell me now?_ She could see the conflict on his face.

"Weasley, I- I just- Sometimes… I think-

A panic began to rise in her. Countless possibilities shot through her at lightning speed, each one more devastating and life altering than the last. She had to stop it, she _had to._

" _Spit it out, mate!"_ she practically barked.

That was all it took for the moment to be broken. She could see something fracture and then quickly, resolutely repair itself behind his eyes. The spell he had cast was still emitting its warm glow, but she could feel a deeper, icier cold settle between the two of them.

"I was going to say… I'm sorry Al gave you a difficult time earlier this evening." _Liar,_ she thought. But she was grateful still for the change in direction. Al was another safe zone. A common ground for the two of them. Al was always a comfortable distraction.

"It's…just the season we're in right now" she countered, "Once tour is over, things will settle…"

He bobbed his head in silent agreement.

"I just hope he's not too far gone by the time we get there…" she sighed.

"He needs to ditch the skirt. Posey- I mean" Scorpius, countered pointedly, "She's bad news. I'm all for fun and games, but she's got a seemingly endless supply of Alihotsy Powder and…drama"

"Especially drama" Rose sighed, "What he _needs_ is to talk to his father. There's a reason he won't slow down with this…madness. He's making all of this ten times harder on himself."

"What he _needs…_ " Scorpius countered, with a sly grin, "Is an extended stay at Saint Mungos. Against his will."

Rose laughed. "Very true."

"I am sorry you had to bring up your dad…" Scorpius said in a quieter tone, "I can imagine that isn't easy."

"It's easier than you'd think" laughed Rose, "I think my dad would've been proud I use his absence as a form of pure, unadulterated manipulation"

Scorpius chuckled, "I gather that is definitely true, from anything I've heard about him…"

"Besides," she admitted, "I had already won and he knew it. I pulled the card as an extra _bugger off_ for making me panic so close to show time."

"Devious."

They shared a small smile. A moment of silence passed between them.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" Rose asked finally, breaking the air. "Like, truly alright?"

"Who, Al?" countered Scorpius, "As long as you're around, he'll be fine… I think you mean more to him than he lets on. Where you go, he goes." He sighed, "But don't let it get to your head."

Rose laughed again.

"Because wherever he goes, _I go."_ Scorpius confessed, "and you know that."

"Is it hard being so wholly in love with a complete nut-job?" Rose teased, flicking her wand up and tracing _A + S = 3_ in a glittering font,against the sky above them. She looked over at him, slyly, but his eyes were fixed on the ground in a pensive manner.

"You have no idea…" he said softly. Her glittering letters slowly fell to the ground and burst into small golden fireworks.

The sun was beginning to rise… pink and orange light shone on both their faces. Although it signaled the end of the evening, the start to another hectic day, she was grateful for the warmth…the golden glow… for a moment, remembering she was in Paris, at sunrise… being present in the beauty that currently surrounded her. She could feel her eyes getting heavy again…

She could hear the faint croon of an accordion, echoing through the streets… She almost laughed. _How perfectly french._

The melody was achingly beautiful…slow and bittersweet…a hint of hope…

"I know this…" she whispered softly, "What is this?"

There was silence. Rose began to think Scorpius had finally fallen asleep.

" _Moon River… wider than a mile…"_ his soft, sweet voice began to sing, " _I'm crossing you in style…someday"_

Rose smiled, "Are you singing me to sleep?" she teased.

He just raised an eyebrow, " _A dream maker… you heart… breaker"_

She wasn't sure it was the breaking light or the music or perhaps something tucked deep inside her she had yet to put words or feelings to…whatever it was, she slowly leaned her head on Scorpius's shoulder and let the last leg of sleep take over her…

"Wholly decent, Scorp" she mumbled, not catching his barely concealed grin.

" _Wherever you're going, I'm going your way…"_

—


	2. Off To See The World

Wow, thank you so much to everyone who favorited and followed this story! It's something I've had swimming in my head for awhile. I think JK built such an amazing world, and I love the idea of the Weasley /Potter kids taking on careers vastly different from their parents and exploring what that might look like in the magical world. (plus, my favorite Scor/Rose stories are the ones that happen Post-Hogwarts.)

These first few chapters will feel very exposition heavy. (I'm going to try to get through that as fast as possible so we can get to the juicy stuff). There's a lot of back story to set up, especially with Ron being gone. This chapter is going to give way more insight into Rose's childhood, her relationship with her parent(s) and her friendship with Scorpius.

Last thing, I imagined Golden Trio having a similar look and sound to The 1975. So If you want/need a visual, I'd look them up. To me, magical music has a lot of layered sounds, looping, synth and very interesting orchestral movements.

—-

Rose dreamt of the Burrow that night…

It was a dream she had been having frequently. _She was lying on the rug next to the hearth. she could feel the fibers of the woven material beneath her fingers…smell the musky, earthy scent of the wooden beams that stretched across the ceiling. She could hear the familiar crackle of the wood…the whir of outside crickets…the creak of someone moving across the floor upstairs. She felt very small, yet safe and warm._

 _All of a sudden, a hand would reach out of the fireplace. She wouldn't notice it at first, but the hand would slowly reach until it could curl it's fingers around her ankle. The hand would begin to yank her, pulling her body towards the fire. She would kick and scratch and scream, but no words would come out of her mouth. She would fall into the fireplace, her body feeling like it was burning. All at once she would tumble out into another living room. Like like the Burrow, but cold and grey. No smells, no fire…and silent. So silent. She could hear the pounding of her own heart. Slowly, her body would begin to grow. Her limbs would stretch and ache till she had filled the space. She couldn't move, she was trapped. She would start to cry…fat, ugly tears that would splash onto the floor beneath her._

Typically, this is where she would wake-up, startled as if she was flung out of her sleep, catching her breath. However, there was something different this evening. _She could hear a faint noise coming from outside the walls of the house…a sweet, melancholy sound…a familiar tune. She wanted so badly to run outside, better hear the song. It was intoxicating and heart-breaking. She tried to move again, but she was stuck, the wooden walls trapping her body in place._

 _Oh God_ , she thought _Please_ w _ake up_ , please _wake up…wake up…Wake Up!_

"-Wake-up. Wake-up." a pulsing from her wand and a monotonous tone, thankfully, allowed her to push the dreamworld back into its place.

"Wake-up. Wake-up. Wake-up. Wak-" she grabbed her wand, flicking it upwards to silence the alarm. It took a moment to reorient herself to where exactly she _was_ waking up. She bolted upwards in a panic _What time was it? Where was she? Where was Al? Had they missed their interview? How had she gotten into a bed?_

She scanned the room for a clock. _8:00am. Thank God._ She further scanned the room, noting the two sleeping figures in the bed next to her own. Scorp and Marty. A shower was running in a room adjacent, steam pouring out through a crack in the door. She got up and knocked softly.

"Al?"

Silence.

"Al?" she said bit louder. She could see Scorpius turn in his sleep. "Al, I'm just making sure you're alive."

The door suddenly swung open, flinging steam through the room, a large smile was plastered onto Albus's face. "Very much so!"

He walked past her so suddenly, she didn't get a good look at him. He practically bounded to the front door, opening it and exclaiming "Breakfast! Merci, Maurice!"

He carried the tray into the bedroom and set it down on the table, facing away from her. She could tell he was keeping his eyes out her sight on purpose. He was always horrible at being inconspicuous…

She rounded on him, taking in his countenance for the first time since the evening before.

"Albus Severus Potter!" she gasped, forcefully grabbing his chin and bringing it towards her. There were two dark, purple bruises beneath his eyes and a split lip that was barely beginning to heal. "You git! Did you think I wouldn't notice this?!"

She jerked his head from side to side, inspecting the damage.

"I'm sorry, Rosie" he said, "I tried my best to heal it myself this morning". To his credit, he _did_ sound sorry. Or at least as sorry as she'd heard him be before.

"Nadia's going to have a field day with me…" she sighed. Her head began to pound. She must have gotten less than three hours of sleep. "Do I even want to know what happened? And.. _when_ did this even happen? When did you get in? _Have you slept at all?!"_

He gave her a sheepish look.

"No sleep for Al-hey" a groggy voice called from the bed. Marty hobbled out towards the breakfast tray, pouring himself a large cup of coffee.

She glared at her cousin, "This junket is important, Al. The label is looking to push the album outside of London. That means these interviews need to be flawless. They want to see a gorgeous, tortured artist. Not a brainless, drunk idiot who hasn't slept in _days_."

He pouted, "I _am_ sorry, Rose. I promise, they'll love me." he clasped his hands together and rung them dramatically, crying, "Dear, sweet cousin! Please forgive me! I treasure the very ground you walk on. I, nay-, _everyone_ who is graced by your presence, is better off for it! You-"

"-can you _please_ give in, Weasley?" a voice grunted from the bed, "I'd like to spend the rest of my morning _refraining_ from ripping off the head of my band mate." Scorpius was _not_ a morning person.

Rose's wand began to pulse where she had left it in her bed, "That'll be Nadia… Mart, be a love and let her up."

As Marty left the hotel room, she gave a final glare to Albus, lightly smacking him upside the head, "Be better. And drink some water." she chastised.

The room was a flurry of movement from that point on. Nadia came upstairs, fussing and fuming over Al's state. However, a kind word about the dress she was wearing and a thoughtful inquiry about her children was all it took for her to be charmed by him, once again. _That's my boy_ , Rose thought.

She poured a generous cup of coffee and set it next to the sleeping blonde. She paused for a moment, taking in his still, calm form. She found herself slightly hypnotized by the rise and fall of his chest, the deep rhythmic breaths…the hair covering his face. She wanted to push them away…sweep them off his forehead, something she wouldn't have hesitated to do with Al, or even Marty, but with Scorpius…

 _Not the time, Rose._

She placed a hand on his leg and shook gently.

" _Fuck off_ ", he groaned, turning over.

"What a greeting!" Rose laughed, shaking his leg again. He turned over at the sound of her voice, his cheeks were red.

"Oh _shit_ \- Wesley. I'm sorry. I thought you were Marty."

She handed him the steaming mug, "You can tell me to fuck off if you like, Malfoy." he accepted it gratefully and took a sip, "I _won't._ But you can still try."

He smiled into the coffee cup and took another sip.

"What time is it?" His voice was hoarse.

"You've got about forty-five minutes till your first interview.", she said, moving back to sit on her own bed, "but, I can probably push it back another thirty if you need me to."

"No, that's alright" he said, cleaning his throat and taking in the room.

"I don't remember getting in last night" she said, "How long have we been here?"

"Maurice, the owner of the building…lovely man…came in around six. He felt awful about us having to wait…put us up in the nicest room." he took another sip. "He told me Stubby Boardman once tried to kill himself during a stay here."

Rose raised her eyebrows, "How romantic."

"Passionate.", He chuckled.

"Was Al much trouble last night?"

Scorpius looked at his coffee cup, not saying a word.

"Was he-?!" Marty launched himself on the bed, now fully-dressed "Scorp-hey had to go out and bloody drag him back, we barely got inna couple hours 'go"

She widened her eyes at the blonde sitting in front of her, "You should have had me go out after him. You could have slept for another hour at least…"

"Couldn't bear to wake you up-hey" Marty chuckled, "carried you up the stairs like a regular prince charmin' he did."

Scorpius ignored him and finished the last of his coffee. Rose sighed, trying not to notice the slight twinge in her heart at the thought.

"Thank you…" she got up, holding her hand out to take the empty mug, "Next time, sleep. Please. It's _your_ beautifulface they want to see fresh and ready, not mine."

She stepped closer to him, patting his cheek lightly and adopting an affected italian accent, "my beautiful boy… you bring-a your mama so much joy."

He rolled his eyes and smiled, "But Ma!"

She kissed the tips of her fingers dramatically, tossing them in the air. She ignored the way should could still feel the heat of his cheeks and the scratch of his stubble against her palm…

—-

" _So boys, tell us about the past year…"_

Rose was struggling to keep her eyes open. The constant onslaught of reporters and interviewers for the whole of the day had left her feeling drained. She was seated in a chair behind the reporter, practically slumped to a sleeping position.

It was her job to make sure they were staying true to their time slots. Better known as 'graciously kicking persons out of the hotel room to usher the next questioner in'.

She was also there to make sure no one asked any questions deemed to…personal.

" _Some have described your success as meteoric. It's been seemingly non-stop since your single_ _ **My Amortenia**_ _came out last July.."_

There was something truly depleting about being asked the _same_ questions over and over again. She could only imagine how the trio being interrogated felt. This particular inquiry was an apparent favorite amongst that days journalists.

"Well…Sylvia-was it?" Albus began, "This year has been absolutely incredible…"

True to his word, Albus had been nothing short of incredible the entire morning. He was engaging, funny, charming and dedicated to keeping the morale up of his two bandmates. The Al she knew and loved.

"However- we've been putting in the work for years now… I'm sure you know- Golden Trio started when we were still at school- Hogwarts. We'd been playing small shows in pubs for years before we-"

"-Interesting…Was it always the same three members?" the polished woman abruptly asked, although it seemed as if she already knew the answer. Rose could feel her stomach begin to knot. _Al…don't say it.. don't say it.._

"No, actually! Marty came on after we graduated and started playing larger shows. Before that, the third member was my co-"

"-Our third member gracefully stepped into a less public role once we started playing larger arenas" Scorpius interjected, his eyes flitting to Rose for a moment, "They didn't love the uh…limelight as much as us three… _egomaniacs_ do." he flashed the reporter a charming smile.

The reporter laughed lightly. Rose sighed silently with relief.

Al, slightly miffed he had been interrupted, said, "Yes… now _they_ just write songs for us."

"Oh. Do you boys not write your own music?" She questioned. _Geez, this woman is out for blood._

"It's more of a collaborative effort. Always has been." Al quipped quickly, understanding the reporters implication. He changed his tone to a more wistful one " _ **My Amortenia**_ was written after a show we played in Manchester. There was this…girl, a fan. I saw her in the crowd. I couldn't get her out of my head. We sat in the hotel room later that night and wrote it all in less than an evening."

Rose could have laughed. _At least he knows how to turn it on.._ The song in question had nothing to do with a girl or a hotel. It was written at the request of the label. They wanted something pop and marketable to their young fans and it had just about killed Rose writing it.

The reporter bought it. "How romantic… did you ever find the girl?"

Al sighed theatrically, "I never did… she's out there… somewhere."

Rose caught a very subtle eye-roll from Scorpius.

"I'm curious about the name… _Golden Trio."_ The reporter said, rounding back on her interrogations. "It was once used to describe the three young wizards who were crucial in the ending of the Second Wizarding War…and also so happen to be the direct relations to you, Mr. Potter…"

Rose tensed. This question _had_ been asked before…with mixed results from Al. She was unsure of how he was going to react, especially considering the letter she knew was still waiting, unopened at the bottom of his trunk.

"Well…", he started, "The name had a much more political connotation 30 years ago. We wanted to take something that was used by the press…and the ministry to-" his voice became tinged with a mild anger, "-to railroad my family into compliance-"

Rose tensed further, C _ome on Al…keep it together…_

" _and-"_ he looked at her for a moment. She could see him reorient himself internally, "And- we just wanted give it a bit of fun…you know?" he smiled with mirth, "Also… Trio. One… two… three" he jested, pointing to himself, then Scorpius, then Marty.

"And what does you father think of it? The name." she countered, unflinchingly.

Al stared her down, a small smile on his face, "He thinks it's a right laugh. He loves it."

On that note, Rose called out, "One minute. Lets wrap up our questions, please."

An icy smile from the interviewer. "I wanted to do some easy lightning round questions to end. These questions came from our readers who wanted to know a bit more about the boys. Nothing too prying, don't worry."

The boys nodded.

"Lovely." she said, "I'll go down one-by-one."

She turned to Marty,

"Alright, tea or coffee, love?"

"Hmm..tea, when 'm at home. Coffee when 'm on the road-hey."

She turned to Albus, "A night in, or a night out?"

"…There's nothing I love more than spending the evening at home cooking, or just cozied up with close friends and family-"

A rolled eye from Rose.

"Lovely" she turned to Scorpius, with an abrupt change in tone "Have you ever been in love?"

His eyes widened slightly, but his exterior stayed cool. "Oh absolutely." he said calmly, "Have you ever had tiramisu? I am completely devoted to the pastry."

"Times-up!" Rose called out, getting up from her chair and ushering the woman out of the hotel room. "Thank-you _so much_ for coming. So lovely to have you."

There was a deep exhale from everyone as soon as the door shut.

"Rosie.. I need to get out of this hotel room. I'm going batshit." Al was rubbing his face slowly with his hands.

"I thought you _loved_ spending cozy evenings at home", she joked, opening the balcony doors and calling to Nadia.

"You've only got one hour left." She handed each of the boys a glass of water, "Then you're free to do as you please until tech rehearsal,"

She turned to Nadia, "Their last few interviews are going to be photographed…can we make sure they're looking more camera ready? I think Al's personality defects are beginning to show…" she smiled mischievously.

"I don't think I can bear it for another hour, Rosie" Al complained, "I really don't."

"If I can manage to listen to you tell the _girl in the crowd_ story for the thousandth time, you can talk about yourself for another hour."

Al huffed, but sat resolutely in his chair as Nadia applied power, and combed and mussed where was necessary.

"Oi- I've got to-hey" Marty got up from his seat,"…point the pink pistol at the porcelain firing range, if you know what I mean.."

"Charming-you are." sighed Rose. She turned to Scorpius. His head was lying back on his chair, eyes closed.

"Tired?" she asked, walking towards him. The short sleeves of his button up had become un-cuffed through the course of the day. She went to roll them back up.

"Thank-you," he said quietly, "I hadn't even noticed."

She moved to the other side, rolling the adjacent sleeve.

"You don't even _like_ tiramisu", she teased lightly, "In fact, you don't even like cake. Or am I going out of my way every year to get you a birthday _parfait_ for no reason?"

He smiled, "I can't be the only one around here allowed to tell fibs to the foreign press…"

"Was'fraid you were gonna say your left hand, mate!" Marty had come back from the restroom.

Albus laughed, "That would have been a riot. _Please_ say that next time."

" _Please_ don't." Rose chided. "Tiramisu is a welcome alternative to…that."

Scorpius said aloofly, "My _right_ hand, lads.". Rose smacked him lightly on the arm. He gave her an unaffected smile, but his cheeks were painted a slight shade pinker than normal.

The rest of the hour passed by without a hitch. The boys were all on their best behavior. Al was charming and enthusiastic, Scorpius was engaging and thoughtful, and Marty…well, Marty was always a laugh.

Nadia left. They wouldn't see her until tonight's show. Al, unencumbered for the moment by responsibility, left the hotel, Marty on his heels. Scorpius, who had neither the desire or tenacity to run on so little sleep took to his bed and quickly fell into a deep slumber.

Rose thought she would take the time to catch up on correspondence, but as soon as her head hit the pillow of her bed, her eyes became heavy and a dreamless sleep took over her.

—

Rose woke as the sun began to set. The high, white ceilings were awash in oranges and pinks. Scorpius was still asleep in the bed next to hers. If she wasn't so tired…or maybe was an entirely different person, she would have spent a moment taking in the beauty and stillness of the moment. However, she was still the same Rose.

She took a deep breath, finding her wand in the sheets beneath her. It glowed a deep turquoise. A darker shade of blue depending on how many messages she had awaiting her. Since she began managing the band, the glow had really never been lighter than a royal blue.

She flicked it upwards, the turquoise glow turning into a hazy swirl in front of her. A lofty voice came from it,

" _Rose, it's Deliah. So sorry, love. I got the times all turned around for your check-in. They'll be expecting you in the AM, not PM. Hope yo-"_

Rose flicked her wand to the left, silencing and removing the message. _Thanks a ton, Deils. Would have been helpful to know before we slept on the literal streets of Paris._

The next voice began to materialize through the haze. A louder and slightly belligerent one.

" _Are you in the city right now?! Lou says you and the boys are in Paris and I don't believe him. Because if you were in Paris, I know you would have told me. I mean, I haven't seen you in months, Rosie. I hope, wherever you are, it isn't Paris. Because if you were, in fact, in my city and didn't bother to let me know….well, you'd be dead to me. Okay. Adore you always! Bye!"_

Rose laughed to herself and slowly turned her wand, pointing the tip against her neck.

" _Lily. You're absolutely spastic. You know that, right? We'll be at La Magie after the boys go on. I know you don't like our crowd at the shows, so come see us there. Around 1-ish. Bring friends. Bring Lou… Don't bring the attitude."_

Rose paused, thinking what to say for a moment,

" _I'm sorry I didn't call you before-hand, your brother has been hellish… Like I need to tell you that. I'll see you tonight."_ A little sarcastically, _"Adore you always."_

The haze pulsed for a moment, changing from it's deep blue color, to an emerald green. Sent. The next message started. A soft and familiar voice came through.

" _Hello, my love… I hadn't heard from you since Wednesday, so I thought I would check-in. I want to hear all about Belgium. I've been reading a novel by a wonderful author, Georges Simenon, he's from Belgium. A delightful novel, full of mystery…intrigue. I've thought of you while reading. I'll give you my copy when I see you next. I do hope you're taking care of yourself. I hope the boys are doing well. Give my love to Scorpius, and Al- of course…If that boy only knew what he was doin-"_

There was a pause. Rose could hear a distant noise in the background.

" _That'll be Ed…Ed! I'm leaving a message for Rose right now, come say hello."_

Another pause and a lighthearted voice rang out. _"Hullo, P! We miss you 'round these parts! Your mother has a Belgian book she wants you to read, but if you ask me…it's a right bore. I'll see if I can find a way for it to, ah… accidentally be used as kindling."_

Rose smiled as she heard her mother scoff and shoo Ed away. Hermione's voice came back through.

" _Come and see us soon, my dear. Once your back in London for good. I want you for at least a week. I'll see if Hu- Ah.. oh, it looks as if we have an interloper…"_

Rose could hear a smattering of tiny footsteps, then a small voice.

" _Mummy, who awe you tawking to?…"_

" _Rosie, dear. Do you want to say hello?"_

" _Wose?! Where is she?!"_

Her mother laughed softly, _"I'm sending her a message. Right now. Do you want to tell her anything?"_

" _I weally, weally want to…tell her…about…my new dwess!"_

Rose laughed out loud, she could hear her mother laughing as well.

" _Well, there you have it. Jane has a new dress and it's really all any of us can talk about."_

" _It's wainbow colors!"_

" _Yes, it's rainbow. Quite the statement. Alright, I love you, my sweet Rose. Be good and be safe."_

" _I love you too, Wose! Bye!" shouted Jane_

" _Bye-bye!"_

Rose played the whole thing through again. Basking in the momentary warmth of her mothers voice, and the charm of the family playing out their lives across the continent.

"Trying not to be thoroughly chuffed about it, but I _do_ love knowing that your mother offered her love to myself before Al" a voice called out from the adjacent bed, "When I'm on my very last breath, I will still relish the thought that _the_ Hermione Granger loved _me_ more than her own nephew."

Rose laughed, " _Of course_ she loves you more than him. You don't cause me half as much grief as he does." Rose moved to sit up in bed, stretching her arms, "I'm sorry for waking you up, I didn't realize I was being so loud."

"I didn't mind. It's… nice hearing familiar voices. If I was even _capable_ of feeling home-sick, I imagine it's the emotion I'm experiencing currently."

"Emotion? Careful, Malfoy. That thing you have in your chest where a heart should be is starting to malfunction"`

"Then I take it all back. I w _eally_ didn't enjoy it."

Rose laughed, putting her hand to her heart "I mean…that girl. Sometimes I think I'm one hair shy of an absolute sociopath and then…' _Wose',_ I melt."

"You are the farthest thing from a sociopath, Weasley." Scorpius chided.

"Don't be so sure.." said Rose, raising an eyebrow, "I could be a master manipulator and you're all just… under my spell."

He gave her a look then. A look filled with something she couldn't exactly figure out. He opened his mouth to say something, but then thought better of it and laughed lightly.

"Has Ed always called you 'P'?" He inquired, getting out of his bed and walking to the bathroom, "I'd never heard him call you that before."

Rose got up as well, moving to the find the water pitcher. "It's a bit of an old joke…" She called out. "I was pretty…well- beastly to him when we first met." She located the pitcher and poured herself a glass.

Scorpius laughed, "Does 'P' stand for Poison…Pest…Punk?"

"Pernicious" she joked, taking a drink. She could hear Scorpius chuckle from the bathroom.

"It actually stands for Petunia, strangely enough." She called out, finishing the water and moving to pack the bags necessary for the nights travel. "He met me for the first time and called me 'Rose' which is -as you know- _my name_ …but I told him he got the wrong flower. I was feeling.."

"Ornery?" Scorpius came out of the bathroom and leaned against the doorframe, toothbrush in hand.

"Ornery. Exactly." said Rose, placing a folded pile of shirts in a trunk. "It didn't phase him, fortunately. He just asked me to remind him which flower, _as it must have slipped his mind_ , so I said Petunia. Which I think was honestly just the first flower I could think of" she smiled lightly, remembering, "So he asked if he could just call me 'P'. I didn't agree or disagree…but it sort of stuck."

"That's sweet." said Scorpius, rinsing his mouth at the sink.

"Yeah, Ed's a good man. He's put up with more than most ever really should."

Scorpius came out of the bathroom, "I don't remember you being _that_ awful."

"You didn't meet me till we were in 5th year, Malfoy" she retorted, "I was terrible to him. And my mother. And everyone, actually." Rose crouched to look under the beds, making sure nothing of importance had made it's way down there during the course of the day.

"What made you stop?" she heard him ask.

"I'm charmed you think I've stopped being terrible." she teased, reaching further beneath the bed and brandishing a stray sock.

"Sorry, I _meant-",_ she could hear the mocking tone in his voice _"_ What made you stop being that _particular_ brand of terrible? I'm fully aware of your current state of being…which I would categorize as less 'terrible' and more…

"…Pernicious?" she ribbed, finding the matching sock she was looking for.

"Absolutely.", he chuckled. She got up to find Scorpius was wordlessly helping her pack up the room. She felt another very inconvenient twinge in her heart, but shook it off and continued to pack in silence. The only sounds we made by the flick of their wands and the soft rustle of clothing.

Scorpius tentatively broke the quiet… "I am curious, though. Why did the change happen?"

"Well…I've never thought about that, actually." she responded, slowly. She was turned away, "I…was just really miserable. I had only Al. And he was miserable too. I think finding music, for both of us. That was a turning point."

"Having an outlet.." he said, softly.

"Exactly. Having something to finally feel excited about…to be proud of. I'm sure you get that." she flicked her eyes up for a moment to meet his. She felt relief when she saw he was bent over, locking up a trunk.

"Also", she started, "I woke up one day and realized I was making my mother miserable. A _nd_ I was being an absolute lunatic to one of the only people in her life who was making her happy."

"Hmm", Scorpius had finished locking the trunks and was sat on the stack, looking at her.

Sometimes she forgot how much of her life he had been specter to. And she his. For a moment their eyes met. Rose felt a refuge in his gaze. There was something that felt safe in the moment.

"Oh my gosh!" she jumped, suddenly smiling, "I just remembered…Do you remember when we snuck out with Al to play _Cruciatus Club_ and Ginny showed up to drag us all home?"

Scorpius laughed "I still can't go to _Cruciatus_ to this day with out a bit of post traumatic stress."

"I really thought that was it. I'd finally pushed it too far. Like, my mum may actually have murdered me." she said, widening her eyes dramatically.

"But" she continued, "Ed convinced her to go easy. I think he was actually really proud of me.. of all of us."

She had moved to sit on the now-made beds, words starting to spill out of her.

"And then they found out they were having Jane…and I got to watch my mum experience this amazing and terrifying thing…and have this new life? Or a chance to repair all these… wounds? I don't know…it put so much into perspective."

"I remember that…" he said, almost to himself.

"Yeah, and then all of a sudden there was this…just perfect, beautiful thing that was part of our lives…and were all just there, as a family, loving this baby. Even Hugh…who's basically a house cat. And we were…happy? Like, so _so_ happy…It was crazy", she laughed a bit. Giving him a look that said _I can't believe I just told you all of that_.

He nodded, and said slowly "I think it's speaks a lot to Ed…that none of that was in the plan for him. He didn't look into the future and see Jane being born or your mum in her ministry position or Hugh painting… or you running _this_ entire operation.", he looked at her, with a joke in his eyes. "With little-to-no hiccups"

She smiled and sighed, leaning back onto the bed, an over-the-top effect "My work… is my art and my life…is my art and you boys… are my paintbrushes and this life …is a canvas-"

"-And the world is a stage-"

"-And we are all together."

They laughed again, settling into an easy silence.

"Well, I think with Ed, it just shows that there's a lot you'd do for the person you love…" said Scorpius with reverence. Rose stared at the high, white ceilings, taking in his words.

There was something different about him lately. They'd spent their entire youths aware of one another, and their entire adult lives in physical proximity.

But they'd kept one another at arms length throughout it all…both much more content communicating through jokes and snippy remarks while reserving the bulk of their emotional labor for Al. She wasn't sure why they had done this…perhaps it was necessary. Perhaps it was the best way for them to stay, for the band to function…for _them_ to function.

"Oh yeah?" she said suddenly, needing to break the tension. "How're things going with you and Tiramisu?"

Without a beat Scorpius sang out " _Youu, and Tiramisuu…broke my heart in twoo-"_

" _-Now I'm blueee",_ chimed in Rose, the spell broken and their usual rapport resuming.

" _So I'll bid you…Adieuuu_ " he finished on a high, clipped note.

Rose laughed again, sitting-up in the bed. He had moved to the table facing the window. She checked the clock. _7:30._

 _We're going to need to head down soon…_ she moved to begin taking the trunks downstairs, but found herself taking a moment to gaze at the boy who was, himself, currently gazing at the moon.

If she had been a different person, she may have blurted out any of the million questions she had for him. If she had been a different person, she might have sat for a moment and gazed at the moon alongside him. If she had been a different person, they might have sat there, staring at the moon and telling each other their hopes and dreams. If she had been a different person, they both might be somewhere else completely and this moment fraught with so many unanswered questions and so many things unsaid would have been long past…

But she was Rose Weasley, and instead of any of that, she grabbed her wand and moved their trunks downstairs and their lives forward.

—

Would love to know what you think! Any questions you have!

xoxo BFS


	3. There's Such A Crazy World

Hi! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I get so exited to read them and I genuinely love hearing what you guys have to say. This chapter was so, _so_ fun for me to write. Its definitely a different vibe from the other two, but I hope you get caught up in this _ultra_ magical setting, as much as I did.

Two _very_ important characters are slightly introduced in this chapter, so I'm interested to see if you can catch who they are!

Since this story is heavily musically influenced I'm going to include small playlists at the end of every chapter, to further influence the "vibe". I hope you guys like!

xoxo BFS

—

Rose's head was swimming. It was close to 2am and it seemed as if the evening was only getting started. La Magie was _the_ place to be that night.

The club was known for it's ambiance and ever-changing interiors. From the entire dance floor being replaced with a lilac, cloud-like foam and the bartenders sprouting feathery angel wings, to the interior encapsulating a multi-colored thunderstorm that left you stained and soaked till you made it to your table, you never knew what to expect.

Tonights theme existed in some sort of ethereal realm inhabited by a quartzy drizzle of stardust that seemed to fall in slow motion and land everywhere but in your drinks. Precious stones had been enchanted to take drinks orders, so everywhere you looked there were glowing rubies, diamonds and sapphires whizzing to and from the bar-top. She had not intended to drink that much, but something about the atmosphere and energy of the night left her feeling ready for anything…

"Basile is an absolute mad man!" she heard a low voice say in her ear over the booming music. She turned to see Scorpius looking at her, a dusting of the aforementioned shimmer covering his hair, cheeks and lashes, "A beautiful, creative genius. But a mad man." he shook his head, the glitter dancing in a small frenzy between the two of them. "I don't think I will ever get myself fully clean of…whatever this is."

Basile Debroux, the owner and designer of _La Magie_ was a distant familial connection via the Delacour's, but had since become close acquaintance due to the frequent attendances at his club from Potters and Weasleys alike. Scorpius was right. He _was_ a mad man.

"Haven't you heard?" She said back, laughingly. "He's in _love!"_

Scorpius widened his eyes, "Basile? Not possible. With whom?"

"Just some bloke!" She cried, "He's totally average, doesn't run in the same circles. Nobody knows him…"

"How do _you_ know any of this?" Scorpius asked, incredulously.

She took a sip of her drink, some sort of swirling cosmos in a glass. "Oh, I have eyes _everywhere,_ Malfoy. You have no idea.. While you're up on stage, I'm gathering intel…Always."

He rolled his eyes, and sipped his drink as well.

"That's what all of this is, though. All this dreamy sparkle bullocks. These are his… _love_ emotions personified." she looked down at her dress, now fully dusted in the silver haze, "and they are…all over me!"

A cloud of the glimmer shot in the air and fell drowsily as Rose attempted to shake it off of herself. As soon as she had wiped herself clean, more of the sparkle had taken it's place.

She sighed, "Absolutely useless."

"I definitely do not want to be here during his inevitable heartbreak…that would be a literal nightmare." Scorpius mused, widening his eyes.

"Oh my goodness, blood dripping from ceilings-"

"-The dance floor is a tar pit-"

"-The waiters are skeletons!"

"-No, bogarts!"

They were both laughing so hard, they didn't register the commotion happening at the table next to them. All of a sudden, Rose looked up and Al was standing on the table, shouting at a tall, willowy red-head who had finally made an appearance.

Al was completely gone. And barely managing to stay balanced on his newly-deemed platform. "Oh, look who decided to drop by…it's Princess Potter!" he shouted, punctuating each "P" with an accusatory spilling of his drink in her direction.

Lily, with a genuine posse behind her, eyed him up and down disdainfully, "Don't _even_ talk to me, you stupid fucking prick. I'm not here for you. I'm here for Rose." she glanced over at Rose and gave her a cool wave.

Rose raised her glass in solidarity, watching the scene unfold in front of her.

"Oh, fuck-off Lily. You're drunk." said Al, pushing his hair off his face and glowering at her.

" _You're_ drunk!" she cried, shoving her bag to one of her friends behind her and jabbing her finger at him.

"We're _all_ drunk!" shouted Scorpius from his seat. Rose stifled a laugh and shoved him lightly with her elbow.

Albus jumped down from the table "Who let her in here? I need to speak to someone in charge."

Rose rolled her eyes. Always the theatrics with these two.

Lily rounded on Albus. "Do you have any idea the kind of shit I'm getting _every day_ because of you? Mum and Dad are _constantly_ on my arse-"

"-Not my fault, sis!" shouted Albus, not backing down, "Stop fucking a man twice your age and move back home!"

Lily got a wild look in her eyes. "Oh that's rich, coming from you. Stop avoiding Dad and _you_ move back home!"

Al waved his hands wildly, selling his drink even more. "I'm doing shit, Lily! I can't just up and _leave_ every time Dad wants to have a chat."

Lily moved in further. They were practically nose to nose. "Ohhh, get a _life,_ will you?"

"Get a _JOB_ , will you?" he roared. They looked as if they were about two seconds away from casting curses.

" _Mon dieu!_ Stop it with zis madness! You are making ze glitter stop.." a small voice called out. One of the girls who had attached herself to Al during the evening, chimed-in.

The outburst caused everyone in the party to look up. The girl was right, the air around Lily and Albus had become stagnant and the dust that fell freely around the rest of the club, hung in the air like ash and was flecked and grey.

"Bad vibes, man…" said one of Lily's cronies in a low tone. An American, undoubtedly.

Both Lily and Albus turned on each other again, narrowing their eyes and sizing up the challenge. Then, resolutely, they said in unison;

"Shots?"

"Shots."

As if on a cue, one of the enchanted gems came whizzing by, carrying a tray filled with small glasses holding a deep, purple liquid.

"To my dickhead bother" shouted Lily, raising her glass.

"To my idiot sister" shouted Al, raising his.

 _To my completely insane family,_ Rose thought

The party cheered. The small, grey flecks of dust burst into beautiful silver fireworks and rained down as they drank together.

The concoction made her vision a foggy lavender for a moment. Rose set her glass down and shook out her hair, in an attempt to rid herself of both the sparkles and the purple haze . A booming voice came from above her.

"Wow, what did _I_ miss?"

She looked up to see a bright-eyed, familiar face.

"Louis!" she called out, giving him a warm embrace. "You look gorgeous!"

He gave her a kiss on the cheek and sat down next to her. "You didn't miss anything you hadn't seen before…" quipped Rose, eyeing the siblings with a wary look.

"Classic Potter brother sister show-down?", he asked, smiling.

"Oh, you bet", said Rose, dryly

"Let me guess…swears and accusations?"

"Yes."

"A crowd of people with their undivided attention?"

"Check"

"Al stood up on the couch?" He quizzed

"No, actually, this time it was the table" she laughed

"Damn, so close…" he mock-clenched his fist, and hit the table, "And, to end it all, there were tears… or whiskey?"

" _Pixies Pond._ Top Shelf." she said, looking back at the pair. Both were now playing catch-up as if they hadn't just come close to ripping each others heads off, less than 10 minutes prior.

"Just another evening in the company of Lily Potter…" He mused.

Louis looked her up and down, "Rose..you are absolutely coated in this stuff, you look like a nymph on New Years" he said, referring to the silver glitter, "Now that I look, more than anyone I can see in here tonight. You must be sitting near a vent or something…"

Rose looked down again, everywhere she turned, her body was covered in the shimmer.

"Don't you know?" she joked, "I'm part Veela… this is just my true form beginning to show"

Louis laughed, "I _'m_ part Veela. We do not sparkle. We shine." he winked.

His eyes widened as he caught a glimpse of something over Rose's shoulder. "Oh gods.. he's even more gorgeous than I remember…" Rose didn't even have to turn around to know exactly who he was referring to.

"Oh, and he's _covered_ in all that exquisite glitter floating through the air. You two are like a couple of candelabras." his voice took on an exquisitely posh tone, "I'll take him to the west wing any day of the week, darling."

"Lou, for the last time, Scorpius isn't going to sleep with you…but if you ask nicely, he may let you see him without his shirt off."

"I don't want to just see him with his shirt off. I want him…I need him. I need him to _need me."_ pouted Louis laying his head precociously on Rose's lap.

"I've heard you say those exact words about at _least_ a hundred other men, I think you'll do fine without him." she reassured, patting his head.

"He's just so bloody beautiful, Rose." sighed Lou, placing his head in his hand and gazing at the aforementioned boy, "That jawline…those eyes…his skin. I want to lick his skin, Rose. Lick it." he said, sitting up suddenly.

"How drunk _are_ you?" she questioned with a laugh.

"Drunk in love…I don't know how you don't just _stare_ at him, all day."

"I _do_ stare at him all day" she countered, throwing a hand in the air, "And Mart, and Al. All I do is stare at them. I'm I'll probably _die_ staring at them."

"Poor Rosie" said Lou, pouting, "Nobody's here to stare at _you…"_

"You're an absolute twat." she said, laughing and shoving him off the sofa.

"And _you're_ an absolute bore." he said, dragging her down with him. He lowered his voice. "You _know_ you wouldn't mind an evening spent in the care of those beautiful alabaster hands. You've seen the way he handles an instrument. Imagine him playi-"

"-Lou, you are an unmitigated pervert!" she said getting back up and pushing the boy towards the direction of the dance floor, "Dance off this amorous energy and come back when you're ready to speak to me in a civilized manner"

"Or I find a beautiful boy to take home!" Lou called out as he made his way into the crowd.

Rose turned back to their table, scanning the top for her drink. Her eyes rested on a pair of _*ahem*_ alabaster hands that were animatedly explaining their way through a conversation she couldn't hear over the music of the disco.

Those hands were often relatively restrained and steady in their day-to-day activities. However, when a drink or two had coursed through their owner, they were lively and effervescent. She found herself thinking of all the ways she had seen those hands interact with the world around them. Curled in triumph…clenched in anticipation…frenetic in handlings of many musical counterparts…soft and unencumbered during a well-earned sleep. All the ways…except _one_. The club suddenly felt very, very warm…

She realized in her musings, the hands she had been analyzing at had stopped moving. And she had been staring. Too long. _Damn you, Louis._

"You alright over there, Weasley?" the owner of said hands called out, "That Pixies Pond fog you up too much?"

"Probably!", she laughed, "Pixie's always gives me horrid flashbacks to evenings spent almost dying in our dormitories from alcohol poisoning."

"Too true.." he chuckled, "I was just reminiscing with Lily about a Hogwarts bash where…I think it was you…either you, or Al charmed a suit of armor to get on his hands and knees and buck anyone off who tried to ride him."

She had been so distracted, she hadn't even registered the body sitting across from Scorpius as that of her younger cousin's.

"That was for my A _merican_ themed party. It was the closest thing we were going to get to a mechanical bull!" said Rose, "Remember my red cups?"

"You were insistent on them," mused Lily, running her finger around the rim of her glass. "How far we've come…"

Rose located her glass, and moved to sit next to Lily. "Now that you're done making your grand entrance….Hi."

Lily rolled her eyes, "Sometimes it's just a little tough to stomach the _prodigal son"_

"Not prodigal, yet" said Scorpius, leaning back, "He hasn't come running back home."

" _Very_ true" agreed Rose, clinking her glass with Scorpius's.

"He's a wanker. And he's my brother. Which means I'm allowed to hate him more than you two. He's just… _so horrible_ to me."

The two of them stared at her, attempting to contort their faces into ones of sympathy. They were struggling. It was hard to feel sympathetic towards _the_ Lily Potter. She, out of all the Potter/Weasley's had been blessed in terms of brains, beauty and any other extraneous qualities one might tack on to someone of higher regard.

She was wealthy, fun, and gorgeous. There wasn't much in her life that wasn't afforded in terms of luxury and privilege. Albus was probably the only person who had come close to being "horrible" to her in ages.

" _And_ \- Leo isn't twice my age. He's 40." she said, pulling a face and recrossing her legs.

"Aren't _I_ supposed to be the one with daddy issues, Lil?" said Rose, cheekily, "Why in the world are you with that man? He's closer to your _father's_ age than he is to yours."

"He's interesting and gorgeous, Rose." she countered, "Give me a decent, wealthy, handsome man closer to my age…who's fit to kill in the sack and I'll happily leave my pruning pocketbooks and settle down with a more appropriate age match…but until then, leave me be."

Rose thought, for the sake of politeness, she should at least offer-up her single, successful band-mate as a potential suitor. Especially considering he was sitting right next to them. However, there was something in her stomach that knotted immediately at the thought of Lily even getting the slightest inclination.

"Besides" continued Lily, thankfully. "You are the last person who should be giving me grief about dating. You haven't been with anyone since Dennis and that was _over_ two years ago. You've probably forgotten what it's like to get f-"

"A quick photo of our fine patrons?" a voice called out. Rose couldn't even see the face of the inquisitor, as it was blocked by a large camera, that was already flashing profusely.

The trio paused for a moment, giving him what he wanted. They all knew this was part of the job, but it didn't stop Scorpius from uttering a small, "Fucking press.." under his breath.

After the photographer had left, Rose rounded back on her cousin.

"Lily, just because I haven't been with anyone doesn't mean I haven't _been_ with anyone." she said, giving her cousin a deliberate look. Normally, she would not be so giving with that sort of information, but there was something about Lily's aura and the amount of magical liquor she had consumed that brought out Rose's more competitive side.

Lily looked immensely pleased.

"I'm not a _nun,_ Lils" she said dryly, "I do alright for myself." Rose didn't want to admit the true banality of her bedroom encounters since her last relationship (and even before then, if she was being honest.) As much as she hated to say it, there was really no one to write home about.

"Well I, for one, am _very_ proud you." Said Lily, with a very 'Lily' look in her eyes, "If you're interested…I've got a friend I think you might do really well with."

"Lils I'm not looking for anything-

"-Serious? I know. He's absolutely perfect for that. He's busier than you, Rose. Gorgeous body, _so_ intelligent… sometimes just hearing him talk is enough to put you ov-" she paused, looking up, "Oh my god, it's changing! How exciting…wait. No… just around us…Actually, just around you, Malfoy"

Rose looked up as well. Lily was referring to the silvery droplets of light that had been cascading throughout the entire night. However, now, they had turned into a deep…almost blood red. At least, the ones currently swirling loftily around Scorpius.

His eyes widened as he realized the attention was being brought to himself. He looked at his personhood, confirming the existence of the color change. There was a look in his eyes she caught, for neigh of a second, that registered almost as…panic?

She turned to Lily and caught a slight narrowing of the eyes and a subtle clack of her fingernails against the varnished table. All of this, directed towards Scorpius.

As soon as she could turn her head back to her friend, he had an easy smile on his face and the droplets had turned back into their original silver shine.

"Must have been a trick of the light…" said Lily slowly, eyes still narrowed.

"Maybe you've had a bit too much to drink, Potter" said Scorpius with the same easy smile.

Rose felt like she had missed something. Before she could utter a word, Lily had stood up and extended her hand to Scorpius.

"Come dance with me, Malfoy. I want to dance."

Rose was bewildered when he moved to get up and follow the lanky red-head. She gave a _what the hell_ look, but he wouldn't make eye contact with her. She sat on the couch, mystified, as Scorpius and Lily made their way into the dancing mob.

She had half a mind to run-up after them, she was so perplexed.

As if on cue, her wand began to pulse. She took a look at it. Red. _Must be Tommy._

 _She_ sighed and made her way to a quieter part of the establishment. The thick, carpet coated powder room was a welcome change of pace. However, it was merely an extension of the raucous main hall in terms of aesthetics. The walls were an intricate explosion of geodes and gems. The mirrors, a focal point in the circular room, looked as if they were cut from the purest, pinkest rose quartz. Rose walked up to one, running water and lightly splashing her neck. An attempt to make herself a bit more coherent before taking a business call.

She sat on one of the low chaise's lining the room, and flicked up her wand, taking a deep breath in.

"Rose, darling! How are you?" she heard Tommy's voice call out. His breathing sounded labored.

"Lovely, as always." she said, running a hand through her hair.

"How did the boys do with the press?", the labored breathing continued.

"They were on excellent behavior. Gold stars for all of them" she quipped. "You sound out of breath, Tom. Are you alright?" she asked leaning again the cool slabs of geode.

"Just going for *breath* an evening run, love" he got out.

"Isn't it close to 2am in London?" Rose asked, amused.

"6pm. I'm in *breath* Los Angeles. Didn't I mention? Big *breath* _big_ things happening for WSR over here."

"Don't you already have an American office?" she asked, not entirely sure why she was entertaining this conversation. She had to admit, she had always been intrigued with America in a sense. Every artist she admired had come to the states at some point to further their musical prowess.

"In New York, yes. *breath* But Weird Sisters Records has *breath* no ground here in LA. Music is in Los Angeles, love. Everywhere you look there's a new band, new label, new venue." His labored breathing had stopped momentarily. "We're trying to beat out Alistar Records and Pygmie. We're bringing on a new exec. American. Big things happening, Rose."

"Does this mean the boys and I should pack up our sunscreen?" she asked cheekily.

"We'll see how your European tour goes, love" he said, slyly. "But that's not why I called. I'll be in the city tomorrow. You and I are going out to dinner. There's someone I want you to meet."

"Tom, are you setting me up?" she joked.

"In a sense, darling" he said resuming his running, "I think you'll be immensely pleased."

"Trusting you…" she said, adjusting her position against the wall.

"Lovely. *breath* Deils will send you details. Dress to impress, mm?"

"When do I ever not, Tom?" she sighed

"That's my girl. Caio from the *breath* Hollywood sign!"

And the call disappeared quickly into her wand…

She took another deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment.

"Ça fait longtemps, dis donc" an airy voice called from above. She opened her eyes to see a pair of twinkling dark eyes beneath a sheen of long lavender hair.

"Basile!" she exclaimed, standing quickly kissing him on each cheek, "Bissou bissou, mon cherie"

"Quoi de beau?" he inquired, gesturing to her.

She blushed, "Je suis désolé, Basile. My french is not good. And I'm a little drunk"

He laughed, "Bien, bien! That iz good. That iz what I want!"

She laughed as well, "It's incredible in here. So beautiful…so thoughtful. When are you opening a club in London? I need one closer to home."

He raised an eyebrow playfully, "We will see…I go where le couer goes." he said placing a hand over his heart. "Parlant de ce qui…speaking of" he said eyeing her up and down. "Who did _you_ come with, tonight?"

She widened her eyes, "No one!" she laughed, "Just the boys…why?"

He lightly grabbed her hand, lifting her arm into the light, "Le éclat..the glitter. It iz all over you"

"I think I was standing near a vent, or something.."

"Non, mon aime" he said leaning closer, a playful look his eyes, "It 'az a mind of it's own."

Rose scrunched her brows, not fully understanding his implication.

"It loves ze beating heart" he continued, "Flushed cheeks…starry eyes…etre amoreux"

"Well, it must have me confused with someone else" she dismissed, but she could feel her cheeks turning red. Her mind immediately thinking of the grey ash-like flecks during Lily and Al's row and the blood-red 'trick of the light' that surrounded Scorpius. _What had they been talking about?_ Her head was still swirling…

Basile opened his mouth to say something. All of a sudden, the club shook with the opening beats of a song Rose was unfamiliar with. It seemed as if she was in the minority, as the entirety of the establishment roared with recognition and appreciation.

The dance floor was suddenly swarmed and the quartzy drizzle was transformed into a disco-like bursting of blue's and pinks.

' _Je vis dans une galaxie_

 _Ombres saturée'_ A sultry voice rang from all around.

"Who _is_ this?" shouted Rose to Basile over the amplified sound.

' _Chagrin et symétrie_

 _D'un décor penché'_

"Angèle" he said, excitedly, "She iz the latest craze from Paris."

' _J'ai attiré les foudres_

 _De ce monde doré'_

"This is crazy!" exclaimed Rose, looking out over the dancing mob, "I've never seen anything like it. How have I never heard of her before?"

' _Les paillettes et la poudre_

 _Sont signe de danger'_

"She's very young, but she iz going to be huge." he said tossing his long hair over a shoulder. "Sometimez she will come to _Magie,_ maybe you will see her tonight."

He kissed her cheeks and floated away, calling out, "Suis ton coeur! Follow your 'eart"

The song was incredibly intoxicating. Produced with the intent of making it's listener forget their troubles for a moment to dance and sweat to the frenzied beat.

Rose made her way to the dance floor in search of Lily and Scorpius. She found them joined by Albus, his groupies, Louis, and Lily's nameless group of followers. They made quite a presence on the floor.

"This is unreal!" shouted Albus, grabbing her hand and spinning her. "I've never heard _anything_ like this!"

"Me either!" shouted Scorpius, who had joined them. "We need to-"

"-Talk to Mak. I know." finished Albus. Both him and Scorpius were having one of their wordless conversations. Mak Wagtail was a producer at WSR, who helped create the sound Golden Trio was known for.

"This is Angèle!" called out Lily, referring to the song playing and silkily dancing her way towards them. "She's a friend. She's _amazing._ The next big thing, I swear."

"That's what I keep hearing!" laughed Rose.

She found herself getting lost in the music, allowing the booming synth to carry her up, and away. The sparkle seemed suspended in a heavy gravity that allowed it to swirl and pulse along with the movement of the dancing crowd. She become so lost in the moment, she didn't realize the rest of the group had broken away and it was just her and Scorpius dancing together in the crowd.

They both laughed when they realized they had been abandoned. Scorpius held out his hand clownishly and bowed, making her cackle. They spent the remainder of the song dancing in wild, ridiculous ways, attempting to amuse the other one. Rose felt a serene sense of belonging in this silly exchange. She was thankful for their friendship and thankful there was no one, for the moment, forcing her to examine the way his eyes lit up whenever he laughed or the way her heart was pounding (not just because of the physical exertion) or how her skin heated up at the slightest touch from him.

And, as the night came to a close, and they finally managed say their goodbyes to Lily and Louis, and pull Al from his adoring fans, she was thankful that no one pointed out how when the light hit her and her momentary dance partner, they were blinded by a glittering, glowing cascade of dreamy sparkle that seemed to have missed the other members in the party.

As they hailed a car and made their way to the final destination, the voice of Basile repeated in her mind.

" _It 'az a mind of it's own."_

—

Ahhh! I hope you liked!

I literally could have written pages and pages just describing different ways that La Magie had been decorated in the past. With magic, I feel like there are endless possibilities as far as "night life" is concerned. The club and Basile will definitely come back in the future, in case you loved the setting.

Can anyone guess the two characters that will have a much bigger role as the story progresses?

 **Here is the playlist for Chapters 1-3:**

Moon River (Arr. For Accordian) - Michael Bridge (what Rose and Scorpius hear playing at the end of the first chapter)

Midnight Sun - Isaac Delusion

Astro Jump - The First Contact

Wander - Jinsang

Love Me - The 1975 (what I imagine Golden Trio sounds like)

Hurache Lights - Hot Chip (Magical dance music, for sure)

Lune est l'autre - Vendredi sur Mer (This is literally the lyrics to the song playing in the club that makes everyone dance, and it's exactly what I imagined playing, so I would definitely give this a listen. )

Seriously, reviews make my day! Would love to hear any of your thoughts.

Thank you so much in advance :)

xo BFS


	4. You'll See

Okay, so this entire chapter was literally meant to be a total of _maybe_ two paragraphs of a much larger chapter, but I kept writing and writing because I loved the conversation the characters were having so much. That happens sometimes.

I feel like every chapter I do something new to smear the good name of the Weasley's and Potter's, but _I can't help it_. I think if you've been reading fanfic long enough, you see a lot of the same tropes happen over and over with the same characters, so there's a conniving little thing in me that says, "How about we _ruin_ that?". I promise everything is for good reason, and everyone will be redeemed at the end of it (… or will they?).

This chapter is dialogue _heavy_ but I think it's very telling. I hope you guys like it!

I've included, at the bottom of the chapter, some new songs and a Spotify playlist that includes all the songs from previous chapters made by like the _coolest_ reader:

 **youveforgotten**

xoxoxo

— _-_

 _"At a glance…_

 _You had me in a trance_

 _Baby, they're selling you romance_

 _I just need one chance_

 _Could you be..?_

 _Muh-muh-muh My Amortenia_

 _Muh-muh-muh My Amortenia_

Muh-muh-m-"

"Al…why on _earth_ do you have that playing right now?" Rose cracked her eyes open. The small beam of light from an unfortunate crack in the curtains was blinding her. Her head _pounded._ She definitely had too much to drink the night before.

"Iss not me Rosie, I'm not even out of bed yet." croaked Al, she could barely make out his form across the room.

"..Mart?" called out Rose, hoarsely

There was small "mfph?" from the bathroom. The song still carried on, loudly.

"I'll take that as a no… Malfoy?" she croaked again, sitting upright. Her words spun slightly. _Was she still drunk?_

"I'm…honestly offended you are even asking me, Weasley…" came an equally hoarse voice fully cemented beneath a mountain of pillows

"I think it's coming from the neighbors…" said Al, turning over in bed, pulling the covers over his head. He was right. As she woke, she could feel her body adjusting to the surrounding environment. The song was definitely coming from the street below.

"So…loud…" Marty said weakly from the bathroom. She scanned the small apartment, realizing with a sigh, that it was going to be up to her to find the true source of the nuisance, and put an end to it.

She hobbled out of bed, using the crack of light in the curtains to guide her towards the window. She thrust them open, to a truly satisfying chorus of protests from her present company, and wiggled the window open.

To her equal horror and amusement, standing in the streets below was an exquisitely dressed, part-veela imp, holding what looked liked her _grandfathers_ old WW set. It was currently blasting a sound that had plagued Rose for the past two years, and probably would for many more years to come. _**My Amortenia.**_

"Jesus christ, Louis! Are you mad?" she shouted down at the street below.

"Your song is on the radio! Did you know?" he said smiling brightly, raising the set above his head.

"Of _course_ it's on the radio! Where have you _been?_ Can you please turn it down?! Actually- can you shut it off completely?" she yelled, "And _where_ did you find that thing?"

"I went for a quick antique this morning!" he shouted, "Wait- this is my favorite part!" and turned the volume knob up, the song playing louder still.

" _Muh-muh-muh My Amortenia!_

 _Muh-muh-muh My Amortenia!_

Muh-muh-"

"You're a _twat,_ Lou!" shouted Rose over the booming tune.

"Sorry, what was that? I can't hear you!" he cackled.

Rose was not proud of the slew of expletives that came forth from her mouth in the following moments. She should have known this would only egg Louis on further. He set the box down and danced a precocious little jig round it. Much to the delight of a group of _madams_ sitting at the cafe next door.

She knew she had to wait it out-till he had his fill of fun. She rested her still pounding head on the sill of the window. Finally, _mercifully_ the song came to an end and he turned the wireless set off.

"I've come to have breakfast with you" he called up, after kissing the cheeks of his aforementioned audience and grabbing the coin off the street someone had tossed his way during the _performance._ He smiled with glee.

"Lou, it's too early" Rose sighed, lifting her head off the sill and glaring down at him.

"It's almost noon, dearie", he countered. Rose peeked her head back into the darkened room in search of a clock. 11:48. _Damn._ They _had_ had too much to drink last night.

"We are in no state to receive guests right now, Lou" she called back down, weakly.

Louis then sprouted a large white bag from his person, holding it up as one would a fresh kill. A local shop, probably being the closest thing he would _ever_ come to a hunting range.

"Pâtisseries?" he cooed, wiggling the bag teasingly. Rose thought for a moment about turning him away. Her mirth still very much directed towards him in light of her hangover and her rather inconvenient wake-up call.

But then she considered the lack of delicious french pastries she currently had in their tiny apartment and she thought better of it.

"…I'll buzz you in."

—

Rose opened the remainder of the windows and flicked her wand, the lights in the space moving from a pitch black, to a dim warmth.

"Mart…you okay in there?" she called to the bathroom. A resounding silence signaled to her that he had most likely fallen back asleep.

"Louis is on his way up." she said to the two sleeping forms. Two muffled grunts were all she got in response.

When the boy finally made his way up to their room, Rose had the coffee brewing and was attending to the messages of the day, marking their schedules in a planner she had charmed to transcribe her voice and be able to read it back to her.

"I'm here and I love you!" sang Louis, spinning with pastry bags in hand as he made his way through the door. Rose shushed him.

"You're going to wake up the boys.." she chastised.

"Oh my goodness, Mum.." teased Louis, setting his bag on the table. A mussy, dark head popped up from the bed.

"Do I smell sweets?" Al called out.

"See? You've disturbed the children." said Rose, dryly. grabbing a glistening chocolate looking tart and practically devouring it. It was heavenly.

"I've got a petit four with your name on it" hummed Louis. Al made his way gingerly out of bed, taking his blanket with him round his shoulders like a cape.

"Is there coffee?" he said, sitting down, using his free hand to grab a sugar-dusted palmier.

Without looking up from her planner, Rose flicked her wand again and a steaming mug floated towards Al.

"You're an angel" he said, taking a large gulp and wincing slightly, "Shit-hot. Got any pepper-up on you, Rose? I feel like I've been run over by a train."

"No," she quipped, "You've used-up my stock. I'll have to find an apotho and pick up some more."

Al sighed, and shook open the paper Louis had grabbed on his way up.

"Can you read that? It's in French!" laughed Rose.

He lightly lifted his wand and tapped the page, the words translating momentarily. He sent a smug smile her way. She rolled her eyes.

Louis leaned over and yanked on Rose's hair lightly, "What's with the plaits? You look like a school girl."

"Ow, geez" she smarted, smacking his hand away, "Why are you being such a pest? Did mummy not tell you you were _special_ enough when you were younger? Let me be- I'm working."

"Mmm- what's that like?" he baited, batting his eye lashes at her and resting his head in his palms.

She stared at him deadpan, "It fills me with a deep, deep sense of pride. Something you wouldn't understand."

"No need to be facetious, darling.", a quirk of an eyebrow. "Some of us just aren't cut out for…jobs!"

"He's right, you know?" interjected Al after a moment, his mouth full of pastry, "You do look like a school-girl."

"Don't you two have better things to talk about?" sighed Rose, scribbling another task down in a time slot.

"Ooh! Let's discuss last night. Where did you all head after we parted ways? Philipe's? _Chambre Des Secrets_?

"We went _home."_ said Rose, incredulously.

"Probably to scrub off all that glitter, oui? You and Sco-"

"-Al will you _please_ share the paper and shut him up?" said Rose, quickly. She had foggy recollections of the previous night. One of them being an eery implication due in part to the nature of said glitter.

Al wordlessly handed a group of papers to Louis.

"The _Calendar_ section! You _do_ know me…" he grabbed, and thankfully became completely engrossed in the gossip and glitterati of the day.

Mart finally made his way out of the bathroom, looking truly haggard. He grumbled a hello, grabbed one of Louis' offerings and flopped back down in a bed. After a moment his light snores could be heard from across the room.

Rose chuckled lightly, and spoke lowly to her planner, "Robe fitting, 3:30pm - Bijoux & Bisset…finalize wardrobe for summer shoot…confirm set list with Andre for tomorrow's show…"

She paused, double checking details "6pm…dinner with Tom, _Ouef Du Dragon."_ another pause, "And mystery guest…"

"Why're you going to dinner with Tom?" asked Albus, suddenly. A slight edge in his voice.

"Keep your hair on. He just wants me to meet with someone…and I'm going to talk about getting you boys to America. To perform." she paused, "You're _welcome,_ by the way."

"Sorry, I've just got such a splitting head ache right now.." he said pinching his brows. "America would be brill. Thank-you."

"If the rest of the tour goes well, we could be state side in less than a month." she said, excitedly. "Also, just confirmed you're booked to go on with with Bugsy & Sauterelle tomorrow AM for WWN France."

"Wow, that's massive" said Louis, looking up from his paper.

"…said the actress to the bishop…" said Rose, with a wink, but then proudly said. "I know. They're going to be great."

All of a sudden, a half growl, half yell could be heard from across the room from underneath a mountain of pillows.

"Fucking christ, Mart- Could you snore _any_ louder?!" shouted Scorpius. A pillow could be seen launched from one bed, nailing the perpetrator square in the face. The soft snore ceased momentarily, but returned seconds later. Marty was _out._

Another half growl/half yell came across the room as Scorpius flung himself out of bed, stomped into the bathroom and slammed the door.

The party sitting at the table widened their eyes in amusement. Scorpius was _decidedly_ not a morning person.

"What a man.." sighed Louis, dreamily.

This caused Albus to snort his coffee though his nose and send Rose into a fit of giggles. The shower water could abruptly be heard running from behind the recently slammed door.

The trio resumed their morning proceedings with relative calm until Louis made a _rather_ inappropriate comment about soap suds, shower heads and Scorpius, that sent the other two into gales of laughter punctuated by "Louis!" and "Stop!". This pattern continued.

When Scorpius finally made his way out of the bathroom, in a tolerably better mood, the three were wiping tears from their eyes.

"I'm glad you can all have a good laugh at my expense," he said sardonically, ripping a croissant in two and waving his wand to bring himself a mug of coffee to the table.

"I'm sorry…" said Rose, still trying to recover from the laughing fit she had just experienced. "You're just such a horrid, little beast in the mornings. You deserve it."

"I'll remember that…" he said tightly, but he was smiling, "Anyone have the Quidditch pages?"

Al wordlessly handed him the requested papers. The room was momentarily enveloped in a quiet calmness, punctuated by the turning of pages, crunches of pastry and Rose softly placing reminders into her planner.

A sharp gasp from Louis cut the calm, "C'est pas vrai! Scandalous…" he said mischievously, referring to something on the page in front of him.

"What is it?" questioned Rose, wryly. After a lifetime in the limelight, she found herself frequently unbothered by the machinations of the press.

He dramatically turned around the paper, showing the table what appeared to be a dripping cascade of pink and red hearts around a title that read **UNE AFFAIRE DE FAMILLE** and a handful of candid shots. The majority of which seemed to be heavily featuring Lily…

Oh. And Rose and Scorpius.

There was a sharp crash, suddenly. Scorpius, who had waved another cup of coffee over to the table, had seemingly lost focus upon seeing the spread. The beverage and it's ceramic holder had not survived.

"Shit-" he said softly, waving his wand and cleaning up the mess.

"What does it say?!" she asked, her amused tone masking the slight anxious tremor in her voice. She didn't know why, but she suddenly felt nervous…

"It says…" Louis started theatrically, " _A Family Affair…The twisted love triangle of the Wizarding Worlds 'Golden Family'…Spotted in the Marias Thursday morning… An inebriated Rose Weasley (daughter of the Head of Internal Magical Affairs; Hermione Thomas nee Weasley, and the late Ronald Weasley) sleeps in the arms of her long-time beau_ \- Their words, not mine- _Scorpius Malfoy (Son of Draco Malfoy, a Senior Partner at the International Magical Office of Law)…"_

The picture beneath the statement was a slow moving black and white image, from the morning they had spent locked out of their hotel room. In the image, Rose's head was resting serenely on Scorpius's shoulder. There wasn't much to go off of in terms of romance, it clearly was a very platonic exchange. When all of a sudden, the image shifted. Scorpius moved his arm and placed it around her shoulder. To her utmost horror, the sleeping Rose in the image smiled and snuggled into the crook of his neck. She could have vomited. Thankfully, Scorpius's face was masked by the darkness of the photo, so no one could see his, most likely, extremely embarrassed expression. The motion capture continued to repeat itself.

She could feel her cheeks starting to turn red, "I was not _inebriated…_ And it's Hermione _Granger-_ Thomas _._ She's the bloody Head of Internal Affairs…they could at least get her name right.."

"It continues!" shouted Louis, unfazed, " _But it seems as if there may be trouble in paradise…Mr. Malfoy is pictured here with girlfriend, Rose Weasley and her cousin; the illustrious Lily Potter (Daughter of Head Auror and war hero, Harry Potter) at La Magie, yesterday evening…As soon as Miss Weasley leaves for the night, Malfoy can be seen chatting and dancing the evening away with the coquettish cousin…Here they are pictured leaving the club together._

"So ridiculous…" said Scorpius chuckling, "I was helping her _into_ a car. Weasley was right behind me…It's-..Just-" he seemed almost flustered.

"I'm not done!" interrupted Louis, " _Readers…What do you think? Will this_ _ **Broken Trio**_ _cause a irreparable rift in the Potter Weasley families? Is ScorRose meant to be or is it time for the White Knight to move on to something a little more exciting? Cast your votes down below…_ And below here is a little poll! How clever…"

Rose yanked the paper away from him, so she could have a look at it herself. True to Louis' word, at the bottom of the page was a pink fluctuating chart. Two bars were periodically rising and falling in live time. At the top of each bar was a picture; one of Lily, flipping her hair and smiling at the camera, the other of Rose grimacing at the camera flashing in her face.

The chart was hilariously in favor of Lily. Something Rose may have been offended by, if she wasn't supremely accustomed to it.

Scorpius moved to bring his previously fractured cup to the sink. As he passed behind her, he leaned and looked at the paper over her shoulder.

"Well…should we add it to our collection?" he teased. Their eyes met briefly. She knew this was as awkward for him as it was for her. It always was. There was an immense sense of comfort in that. She reached up and pinched his cheek lightly.

"How could they think-a this of-a my _BEAUTIFUL_ boy-a?" she exclaimed, releasing his cheek and patting it lightly.

He laughed, throwing his hands in the air and moving to the kitchen, "But Ma-aaa!"

"I've never got that joke…" said Al, moodily. He had been uncharacteristically quiet during the reading.

"You wouldn't.." they both said, quietly.

"Oh, by the way," said Scorpius, coming back from kitchen and moving behind her, "We can't let Lily get a fat head" he took his wand out and tapped Rose's picture on the paper. Her bar jumped up marginally. "Well…a fatter head than she already has."

Rose laughed, "Thank-you, White Knight."

He sat across from her at the table and raised his other half of croissant in solidarity. Rose was thankful for the presence of the other two at the table. She imagined their mutual mortification would have been amplified if there was no one there to bounce an offhanded comment or clever joke off of. They seemed to always work much better with an audience.

The paper was snatched suddenly from her.

"It's just gross, you know?" said Al, in an agitated voice. He was seemingly not handling his hangover very well, "You guys are like brother and sister…" He tossed the paper back to Louis, who was currently disengaged in the present conversation completely, and pouring over the next salacious story.

"It just pisses me off…they can just say whatever they want and get away with it. Like, what if your mum saw this Rose?"

"I think she'd be fine, Al. I think she'd mostly be impressed I was able to keep a full-on relationship secret for this long.."

"Still- It just really pisses me off…fuck-my fucking head is pounding." he said, getting up suddenly and pulling a dark amber bottle from his trunk. He sat back down and poured a hefty helping of it into his coffee.

"Al- it's barely past noon," she said, her voice heavy with disapproval. She could smell the contents of the bottle from where she was seated. It was _medical-grade_.

"Rose, my head is literally pounding. I can barely open my eyes." he said glaring at her, "Plus, _you_ don't have any pepper-up, so what else am I going to do?" his voice turned dark.

That was the thing with Al…He'd be bright and burgeoning one moment, and then without any warning he'd turn on you, or whoever else was his desired target. Thankfully, by this point, she knew how to deal with him.

"Do whatever you want, Al. I'm just here to make sure you can do your _job_." She challenged, icily.

"I'm _fine_ , love" he said in an equally icy tone, "Don't worry about me. Worry about _yourself_." he gestured to the abandoned leaflet. The dripping hearts, aiding in the effect of his mockery.

Louis, sensing the tension, said loftily, "The most delicious thing of all…is that I _know_ where Lily rest her pretty, little head that night"

"Everyone knows, Lou." said Rose, "She's been touting her relationship with _Monsieur_ Leo for months now."

Louis smiled, cockily. "Leo's more of a…play thing for her. No, this man is the most secret of secrets…"

Rose quirked an eyebrow up, "Then tell us."

Louis' smile widened, "Oh-it's just so delicious. I shouldn't even tell you.."

"Do you want us to beg? Is that what you want?" said Rose, playing into his game.

"So-oooo juicy…" he cried, clasping his hands together.

"You know what, we have to get to a fitting-" she started.

"Okay fine. You're no fun. I'll tell you." he sighed, "Let's just say…baby Potter has been spending _a lot_ of time at…Château du Lupin."

He leaned back in his chair as he waited for the bomb to drop. For a moment, there was only silence. Rose's mouth had dropped all the way open. Albus sighed and took the opportunity to pour another large helping of the amber liquid in his coffee. Scorpius was the first to speak.

"No…bloody…way" he said, shaking his head slowly.

"Teddy?!" shouted Rose, finally finding her voice.

"Isn't that the most delectable piece of information you've heard all day?" he asked, his eyes twinkling.

"She's so mental. I can't fucking believe it…" said Al, but there was almost a hint of a smile on his face. Rose could relate. The shock and scandal of it was almost too good.

"How long has he been in Paris?" she asked, still completely bewildered.

"Since the divorce. He came here to hide from the family…but instead" he said, grinning wickedly, "He decided to hide _in_ family."

Rose screeched, "Oh my god, _LOU!"_ she said covering her eyes and cackling.

Al decided then to ditch the chaser and go straight for the bottle.

"Yeah, speaking of-", said Scorpius, turning to Al, "How are you okay with _this_ , but you're _scandalized_ by the thought of Weasley and I sharing more than a friendly handshake?"

"I don't have to see my sister every day, now do I?" he countered, "Also, Teddy's _not_ family. He and Lily barely spent any time together growing up. Maybe a camping trip or two. He was out of Hogwarts before she even got there, if you recall."

"I gather, Lou's spent more 'brotherly' time with Ted, than Lil has.." mused Rose.

"And that too!" accused Scorpius, now turning on Louis "This is your sisters ex-husband…who's now banging your cousin… Have you no family loyalty?"

"Can I just say…I love it when you get aggressive with me…" he purred, flicking Scorpius on the nose, "But no, my loyalty lies with the juiciest gossip, the hottest tea, the most beautiful man. If it's not exciting, I don't care for it. It's just how I was born…" he flipped an invisible mane of hair behind him.

Scorpius shook his head, but he was fighting off a smile. Louis was _too_ charming for his own good.

"I cannot _wait_ for someone to find out about this," sighed Albus, "This will be the thing that finally makes everyone in the family forget I even exist. That will be a family dinner that will go down in _history_ …I hope she gets knocked up."

"Albus Potter, you're awful!" said Rose, swatting him with the remaining newspaper.

"I'm joking…sort of-" he laughed…The desired effect of his pepper-up 'substitute' was happening. Rose noticed this, with a bit of a sinking feeling, but brushed it off. "But can you imagine! 'Mummy…Daddy…I'm carrying your _godson's_ child.' It would be too good."

"Wow…" said Scorpius, looking up at the ceiling momentarily and rubbing his face. "Lily and Teddy…So mental…"

"Honestly, you guys…" said Rose, sheepishly, recalling a time, many summers ago, where she herself had an… awakening, in a sense, after seeing Teddy come in from playing a family Quidditch game; sweaty and ruddy cheeked…she hadn't been able to look him in the eye for months after that…, "I would…"

"Would what?!" asked Scorpius, as Louis burst into laughter.

"Like" she said, biting her lip and widening her eyes pointedly, "I _would."_

"Ted is a whole _meal"_ said Louis, wistfully, "I would too"

"Now _that's Une Affaire De Famille!"_ shouted Al, and the apartment rang with their hysterics.

—-

Soon it was time for Louis to leave. They woke up Marty and made moves to get ready for their fitting across town. It was back to the insanity of their lives. Of meetings, and scheduling, and managing and all the other simple nonsenses, that made this lifestyle operate.

She felt a twinge in her heart. She knew they would only be in Paris for another week. She had loved being able to see Louis, and even Lily. She could feel herself already starting to miss them. A feeling she really hated.

She contented herself to thinking of her thankfulness for the three boys she had been put in charge of. At least she had them to go on this crazy adventure with her. She didn't know what she would do without them, or what she would do if anything happened to them…

She felt a safe sense of knowing where they all stood. The role that each of them played…But as the boys got dressed and Rose cleaned up their mess from breakfast, she was acutely aware that the page containing the alleged evidence of her and Scorpius's romantic entanglements was no where to be found…

— _-_

Lily and Teddy? Don't you kind of see it? Don't hate me! If you're a die-hard TeddyxVic fan pretty, please don't come for me! I love them too.

Sorry if this chapter felt a little stagnant in terms of plot. Next chapter, a _huge_ device gets revealed.

 **Chapter 4 Playlist**

Fais Pas Ci Fais Pas Ca - Jaques Dutronc

Sisi La Fami - L'Eclair

Imagination - Rosentwig

Short chapter, short playlist! Here is the link to the Spotify! playlist/4S729QzMNbw2a5hWPoUE4s

Thank you again to **youveforgotten** you are so, so cool!

xoxoxoxo


	5. We're All Chasing

Okay. Chapter 5. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! This. One. Is. Juicy.

Lets get into it.

xoxo

—-

It was raining. Hard.

The cobblestoned street Rose was attempting to make her way down hurriedly was awash in dancing red, blue and white light from the passing cars and the street lights above. The downpour and the frequent slipping of her heels were making it difficult to find the establishment she was meant to arrive at shortly.

The _Ouef Du Dragon_ was located in a non-magical district, so she was, unfortunately, unable to apperate there. The cab driver had dropped her off down the road with little more than a worried glance, so she was hobbling down the darkened street, completely alone.

Her hair was completely drenched, and the sheer nature of the dress she was wearing was beginning to become more of a bodily hazard due to the chilling temperature. As she continued to walk the rain-soaked street, she began to worry she would be unable to make her destination on time.

All of a sudden, a glint in the distance caught her eye. _Brilliant._

She came upon, what looked like, an indistinctive wall of brick. However, the glinting object of her searching was what distinguished it from any other brick wall she may have come across.

At the very bottom of the wall was a gleaming, polished stone imbedded in the brick. It would have been innocuous to the average passerby, but the swirling opal luminescence it gave off, let Rose know it was exactly what she was looking for. She looked around briefly for any too-curious pedestrians, and whipped out her wand tapping the stone.

A brick in the wall, reaching her eye-level, dissolved and a pair of black hooded eyes met her own blue ones.

"Code Confidentiel?", a curling voice called out.

" _Arcanus Lacerta"_ she said, shakily, pushing a soggy lock of hair off her face. The cold was beginning to settle-in.

The eyes behind the door crinkled, and soon the blank wall of bricks smoothly slid to the side, revealing a small room, carpeted in what seemed like a scaly, onyx skin. She quickly stepped into the room and the door slid shut behind her.

"Ton nom?" asked the small, scaly creature, who who had flown back to his original place, seated behind a podium.

"Weasley," she said, still slightly shivering, "Or Wagtail…Thomas Wagtail", she wasn't sure if she was so cold, or she was just imagining it, but the walls seemed to be…breathing?

The creature slowly ran a clawed finger down a large book he had sitting in front of him. Without looking up, he waved his other hand in her direction and she instantly felt warming air swirling around her; fluffing her hair, starching her dress and warming her to her core.

"Merci…" she sighed. The winged attendant in front of her simply nodded.

"We 'ave called for your car." the creature said to her, again without looking up.

Rose looked around, confused for a moment, as there was no apparent door or opening in the slowly oscillating walls surrounding her and the maitre d.

There was a low ring of a bell, and the wall adjacent to her, slid slowly to reveal another, smaller room layered in the same scaly mantle. There was another attendant hovering inside, beckoning her to come in. She walked inside, bidding a quick _adieu_ to the steward. He did not pay the same respects.

The elevator door closed and she could feel her stomach drop unpleasantly as they seemingly plummeted down to the depths below. After a moment, the car slowed in its descent and Rose breathed a deep sigh, steadying herself on the wall. She was startled to feel a pulsing warmth beneath the scaly skin of the interior. She moved her head closer to the wall and could hear a faint _thump thump…thump thump-_

"-Do _not_ touch, S'il vous plait." snapped the creature, his wings buzzing in tune with the whir of the elevator.

She retracted her hand immediately, "…Sorry." she said quietly.

Soon, they had reach the end of their trip. The doors opened and Rose's eyes readjusted to the veritable splendor that awaited her entrance.

"Bienvenue a _Ouef Du Dragon…"_ said her boxcar companion dryly. She made her way out of the car, and the doors shut resolutely behind her and zipped back upwards.

The cramped natured of the entrance, and by extension the elevator, were almost comical compared to the the vast, cave-like interior of the restaurant.

The walls were encased in an almost eerie opalescence. To her left was a gleaming bar-top made of a dark, glossy wood. The entirety of it stretched from the floor, to the ceiling; different types of glittering bottles lined the wall in a dizzying color-coordinated scheme. Rose noticed, if you swayed a bit from side to side, the patterns on the wall seemed to change on you. The same winged creatures were buzzing from level to level of the bar-top; dressed in smart white suits and procuring cocktails at a frantic pace.

To her right, Rose was awestruck. A deep, large pool of water made up the rest of the floor plan. The "lake" was a tranquil jade color; the only movement a smattering of ripples from the occasional low flying creature. The walls of the cave danced and glistened in the reflected light of the pool.

Rose looked up. Ornate tables and chairs, whose wood matched that of the bar-top were suspended in the air above the water. Guests were laughing and dining at each airborne party, while attendants; dressed in the same white suits, buzzed to and from guests.

At the sight of the _dangling_ nature of the restaurant, Rose felt her stomach clench. She didn't _love_ heights. Luckily she didn't have much time to contemplate the terror that awaited her, as a voice called out.

"Rose, over here!"

She whipped her head towards the _library_ of a booze collection. Seated at one of the velvet rounds was a familiar face.

"Tom! _Bonjour mon amie_ …" she made her way towards the bar-top, he had saved a seat for her.

"What are you drinking, love? Isn't this place incredible?" he said, kissing her cheeks.

"I'll just have what you're drinking, thanks." she said, sitting down. "Unless it's Pixies. Had a less than pleasant experience with it last night, and I don't fancy another similar morning."

"Basalisk Breath and tonic a deux, s'il vous plait?" Tom said to the bartender, leaning over the counter momentarily.

"Oh, so it's _that kind_ of an evening?" said Rose, laughing, "I have a feeling you're about to convince me to do something horrendous."

"You, love? I wouldn't dream of it. " said Tom, his eyes twinkling. "This dress is killing. Give us a twirl."

The dress, in question, _was_ killing. At the robe fitting earlier that day Rose had made an exasperated exclamation about having _nothing_ _to wear_ for her dinner that evening. The stylist, Madeleine, had quickly made a few alterations to a rather drab gown sitting in the back of the shop. The slip underneath was shortened and tightened, and the beautiful sheer overlay was enchanted ever so slightly, so the embroidered stars moved about as if belonging to a very lazy orbital pull.

It was not often Rose got to play dress-up; and when she left their flat earlier that evening, she _truly_ didn't mind the over-dramatic wolf-whistles and whoops from her three musical wards. Perhaps, even her face felt warm at the thought of a certain pair of blue eyes being unable to keep his gaze off of her.

"You don't look so bad yourself." said Rose, after showing off the frock. "Navy works for you."

"You flatter me.", said Tom with a small grin. "How's writing going. Are we still set to begin recording in June?"

"I haven't had much time for writing, Tom. Al's been giving me hell and with all the travel-

"-Well, I know you'll pull through. You're a real talent." he said, clinking her glass lightly. All of a sudden, the diamond crusted broach pinned to his robes began to shine lightly. It was a beautiful piece, possibly goblin-made, in the shape of a small gecko.

"You're glowing…" She said, referencing the piece.

Tom looked down suddenly, "Ah." He stated, touching the nose of the gecko lightly, "Call's coming in."

The gecko came to life, crawling up Tom's robes, all the way to his neck and up, curling around his ear. The tail of the gecko curved lightly so it reached the corner of his mouth. Rose could hear a muffled voice.

"Mina, darling!" said Tom, speaking into the tail, "You're on your way down? Beautiful- I know, blasted rain. Hope you both managed to stay dry…lovely. See you shortly."

Once the call was over, the jeweled gecko crawled back down and resumed it's position from before.

Rose was intrigued. "Is that new?" she asked, referring to the broach.

"Innovative, isn't it?" he said, sipping his drink, "Using my wand was too much of a hassle. I can do so much more with him. Sometimes, if I'm busy, he'll stay in my ear all day. You should get one. Hands free; it'll change your life."

Rose took a sip of her drink. She moved to retort, saying she didn't _adore_ the idea of a cold piece of metal clamped to her ear all day, but before she could open her mouth again, the elevator box descended down from the ceiling of the cave and two figures were ushered out.

Tom got up quickly, greeting the two warmly. As the mystery guests moved towards where Rose was seated, she could make out their personhood a bit easier.

The taller, older one; who was seemingly in command of the duo, was a slender and severe looking woman. Her dark hair was cut in a blunt, no-nonsense fashion and her eyes had a cutting curiosity that made Rose feel the need to sit taller in her seat.

The younger one, hanging onto the fringe conversation in a cheerful -yet slightly disinterested- way, was a stark contrast to her older counterpart. She was dressed, head-to-toe, in a pink tulle number that piled high around her, reaching all the way to her neck. Her cheeks were rosy, lips were pink, her eyes held a certain sparkle. Rose could feel herself warm towards the girl instantly.

"-so delighted to be having this dinner with you two." Rose caught Tom say as the party moved closer to her. "And this is Ms. Weasley. Don't let her age fool you. She's currently one of the best in the biz. She's the reason Golden Trio are the success they are today."

Rose blushed, "Not entirely true, but thank-you. It's a pleasure to meet you uh-" she stuck out her hand to shake.

"Rose, this is a good friend and collegue, Mina Saito. She's been with WSR for years now."

She shook the hand of the tall, severe woman. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Weasley. I am familiar with your family as well as you."

As this was neither a compliment or a critique, Rose was unsure of what to say, so she smiled directing her attention to the young, bubblegum beget waif standing to the side.

"Ah!" exclaimed Tommy, "And this is the _lovely_ and very talented…Angele. Mina is her manager."

Rose widened her eyes, taking in the information. " _The_ Angele? Oh my goodness, I love your work… I'm sorry I'm not more familiar with your repertoire, but I've been very impressed with what I've heard."

The younger girl smiled and laughed, "Merci..Rose, yes? I am a fan of _your_ work as well. You are _compositeur exquisite!"_

"Merci, merci…" said Rose, smiling. She was, again, unsure of what to say. Tommy clapped his hands, obviously very pleased with the interaction.

"Well." he said, jovially. "Should we find our way to our table?"

—-

"So, the dining experience is conceptual…" Tom's enthusiastic voice came through. Rose was feeling queasy and a bit dizzy. She attributed this to the quick ascent to their suspended dining area and the height at which they were currently situated, "You yourself _are_ the egg of the dragon and as you make your way down the elevator and into the main room, it as if you are inside your mother and being birthed into a splendorous cave. "

Rose would have rolled her eyes, if she wasn't so preoccupied with the internal terror she was attempting to keep at bay. She looked over at Mina and Angele, to see if they shared her less-than-impressed sentiments, but they were both seemingly entranced with Tom's explanation.

"Magnificent…" sighed Mina, taking a languid sip from her glass of wine.

"And the trip to the…table. That is -how you say- _en volant…_ flying?" inquired Angele.

"Yes, yes! Exactly." said Tom, clapping his hands. "And the delightful creatures you see flying around are Doxy's transfigured to resemble reptile-esque figures. It's brilliant. Absolutely brilliant."

"They don't seemed to pleased with the transformation…" said Rose cheekily, noting the rather sour expressions of the winged servers.

Tom gave her a look, "Doxy's are never too pleased about anything, love."

"Well, thank-you very much for bringing us here this evening, Tom.", interjected Mina, giving _her version_ of a warm smile. "Now that dinner is on it's way, should we get to the business at hand?"

Tom smiled and clapped his hands once more. "Yes, indeed…." He turned to Rose, "Are you familiar with _Jumeaux Jumeaux_?"

"The electronic duo?" asked Rose, "Yes, we saw them perform at Phoenix Fest last year…Why?"

"Well, they were set to open for the _mademoiselle_ sitting across from you…however _Jumeaux Jumeaux_ is now, unfortunately _Séparé Séparé."_

"They've split?" Rose inquired incredulously. She found it hard to believe - _They were twins after all…-_

"Family drama. It's a real business buster… All that to say; this is excellent news for you, Rose."

Rose took a sip of her drink, "Is it?"

Mina interjected, "We are huge fans of Golden Trio, Miss Weasley. And we are currently without an opening act…"

"WSR wants to bill you as a double act, extend the tour for a few months. Instead of ending in London at the end of this month, you stay on the road with Angele. That means…America…"

It took a second for the news to settle fully.

Rose was stunned. This was an incredible opportunity for the boys -and her, honestly. Touring with Angele would give them an unbelievable amount of exposure. And her dream of getting them to tour the states would become a reality.

"-And Japan!" piped up Angele. "We will play my hometown, Kyoto."

"-If we can sell-out the venue, darling.." said Mina, cooly. Rose caught a glimpse of something in the young girl's eye, but it passed quickly and she smiled brightly again.

"Rose, you must agree to it. Golden Trio has a sound most…uh- Unique. Fresh. I want them to open for me.", she seemed disarmingly genuine. Again, Rose truly did not know how to respond.

"What do you think?" asked Tom, turning his attentions toward her.

"I mean… Absolutely. This is an incredible offer. It would be silly not to take it."

Mina smiled and Angele clapped delightedly; the tulle mountain cascading around her bounced wildly. Tom looked very pleased.

"However, there is a stipulation. Do not forget, Tom…" said Mina, giving her _warm_ smile again.

Tom glanced at Rose. There she saw the hesitation flash. _So here's where the coercing happens…_

"Right, of course." he said, rubbing his hands together. "Rose…How do I put this..?"

"Miss Weasley, what would you say is your highest and most reliable demographic amongst Golden Trio's fanbase?" Mina, inquired; although it seemed as if she already knew the answer to the question she was asking.

"Oh easy, young women aged 14-25." she laughed.

"Excellent. That is a similar market those who are consuming Angele. A reason for why we have chosen to partner with _your_ group. They have wonderful potential and Angele's fans will be sure to become their fans as well…"

"I hope so as well…" said Rose.

"Now, what would you say is the driving force in this young women? Why do they love Golden Trio so much?"

"Fun music…exciting lyrics…I can't imagine their physical appearances are a huge deterrent…" she said, carefully.

"Exactly." said Mina, her voice taking on a curled tone, "These young women find themselves…in love…in a sense, with the boys. The lyrics are romantic and fresh, when they listen, they feel as if they are being personally serenaded. ..yes?"

"And these ladies are the ones who buy the album, and bring the money in." quipped Tom.

"With Angele," Mina said, her hand resting lightly on a pink shoulder, "Her fans are not so much in love with her…as they want to _be_ her. When she sings, they can imagine themselves speaking the words. What she wears, they wear. What she likes, they like. What she eats, they eat…"

Tom leaned forward, "Who she dates, they want to date…Do you see where we're going with this?"

Rose furrowed her brow, "Forgive me, but I'm not following…"

Mina smiled, "We believe striking a relationship of sorts, would be beneficial… Not just for the band, but for Angele as well. She is older now, and attaching her with someone older and more sophisticated would help further her brand identity."

Rose widened her eyes as everything clicked. "You want to manufacture a dating relationship…between Angele and Albus?"

Tom interjected, "Actually…as of right now, Albus is a bit _too_ valuable a commodity. If he is taken off the market entirely, that may do more harm to fan perception, than good. Scorpius however…"

Rose felt the floor beneath her bottom-out, and this time it had nothing to do with the height with which the table was currently sitting at. _Scorpius? Scorpius Malfoy?_

"Scorpius is at the perfect place in his career to attach himself to someone in the public eye." continued Tom. "Yes, he has devoted fans, but partnering him with Angele will ultimately boost his image as a desirable artist, even a sex-symbol."

Rose felt a queasiness return. She wasn't sure what was happening to her in the moment. Was she really _that_ afraid of heights. She reoriented herself as she realized the entire table was awaiting a response from her.

"Plus, you can finally get those dating rumors off your back entirely. I know that'll be a big relief to you…" said Tom, sympathetically. Rose nodded.

"What does a relationship like this entail, exactly? I'm unfortunately unfamiliar with the practice." She asked, taking another sip of her drink.

"It's very simple." Mina started, "They will be seen together publicly, at least as long as they are on tour together. We will work together to set up dates, small outings, events, etcetera…"

"We will make sure the right publications get the _insider information.."_ added Tom. Rose could tell this was very exciting to him

"It sounds very clinical.." said Rose, almost to herself.

"It is." Mina stated firmly, "Nothing needs to happen behind closed doors… Unless, of course-"

"-Something _does_ happen. Which, in that case, we will discuss if need be." interjected Tom.

Rose felt another wave of nausea. _Get yourself together Weasley, what is wrong with you?_ She flagged down a winged attendant, asking them for a glass of water.

"So, how long is the arrangement going to last?" She asked, lightly.

"The tour will end at the end of May. That will give the pair two months. We plan on officially announcing their status a week before we announce the tour. Give the fans some time to fall in the love with the couple. Help boost sales."

Rose turned to Angele, who had yet to speak during this leg of the conversation. "And how do _you_ feel about all of this? You're fine spending all your time with a man you've never met?"

Angele looked surprised at being addressed so directly. She brushed her dark fringe out of her face and said brightly, "It will be fun, _non?_ It is not the first time I have done this…"

"Angele understands the necessary elements of succeeding in this industry," interrupted Mina, her 'warm' smile losing some of its 'warmth'.

" _Alors_!" added, Angele brightly, "He is very handsome. Don't you think?"

"I think the two of them will make a lovely couple." said Tom, happily.

Rose was silent for a moment. "I'll need to talk with Malfoy…"

"Excellent!" said Mina, triumphantly. "We will expect your answer within a few days."

"I am performing tomorrow evening. Will you bring the boys to see? I would love to 'ave you there to watch." asked Angele. Her eyes filled with excitement. Rose was struck by how young she looked in the moment…

"We would love to…" said Rose, she felt strangely tired; defeated almost. Maybe she had had a little too much to drink. Maybe it was something different…

Before she could think of much else, a familiar, droning voice was heard in her ear.

"Si vous voulez passer à table…"

A delightful arrangement of different colored eggs appeared on the plates in front of them. Cracking the tip of each egg revealed different elements of the meal, made to be eaten in succession. The table was entranced by cracking and discovering the culinary treasure beneath each fragile shell; something Rose would have normally found herself equally enthralled by.

However, she had completely lost her appetite. She attributed this to the flying circus she was unwillingly participating in, along with the unfamiliar territory of this new element of fame. But she knew there was something else, something deep down inside that even _she_ was unwilling to uncover.

—

When she found her way back into the flat that evening, it was very late. The dinner had progressed cordially. Although she didn't quite care for Mina's… abrasive nature, she couldn't help but be drawn to her young charge.

Angele was vivacious and enthusiastic, but there was an immense kindness Rose could see within.

Rose learned that she was originally from Kyoto, Japan and had attended _Mahoutokoro,_ the wizarding school located on the island of Minami Iwo Jima, from the age of 7, till the age of 13. Mina had discovered her there and taken her to study at _Beauxbatons,_ where there was a much greater emphasis on the arts. Hence, her french accent.

Rose learned that Angele loved her dog, Taro; that her brother was a stand-by chaser on the Toyohashi Tengu; and that she got to return home once a year to see her mother and sister.

Rose was continually struck by how young she was; yet was immensely impressed by her understandings of the industry. She could rattle off hair spells as quickly as she could give you album statistics and a cutting understanding of her personal brand.

She and Scorpius _would_ make a beautiful couple. He would be immensely charmed by her. He was someone who was especially put off by the coy callousness often encountered in their line of work. Something about this acknowledgment made her already heavy-head feel even heavier. She couldn't wait to just fall into bed and go to sleep.

The apartment was dark when she came in. She was shivering from the still pouring rain that had drenched her sheer dress yet again. She tried to shut the door quietly, so as not to wake any sleeping persons. As soon as she turned back around, she was greeted by a soft voice.

"Weasley? Is that you?", Malfoy was drowsily seated on the front table close to the kitchenette. A steaming mug of something was situated on the table in front of him.

"Who else would it be?" she whispered softly back to him, laughing "The ghost of Celestina Warbeck?"

He laughed, "Exactly. Sorry, I haven't been able to sleep. I'm dead tired."

"I'm surprised. Sleep never seems to be a problem for you," she said, setting her bag down and starting a small fire in the hearth. "Shit- I'm so cold. This rain…"

"Do you want me to get a blanket or something? Hot coals? Dragons breath?" he joked.

"I just need to take this dress off. It's soaked." she said pulling at the zipper as she made her way to the bathroom, "Oh, speaking of Dragons breath. The place Tom took me to tonight…unreal. I was forced to be birthed from a dragon-ess, and then had to sit suspended at least 50 feet in the air..while attempting to talk business."

Scorpius chuckled, "Sounds like you're really earning your paycheck…"

Rose was still tugging at the zipper at the nape of her neck. It was stuck and the rain had only made it less easy to grab onto. She walked back into the front room.

"Can you get this for me?" she sighed, turning her back to him and looking back, "It's stuck and I don't fancy ripping it off of myself. I'm too tired."

He walked behind her. She shivered suddenly, although she was standing in front of the fire…

"So, what did Tom want with you? Anything exciting?" He said, finding the small zipper and tugging gently at it.

She felt the knot in her stomach again. She would have to tell him, tell the whole band, eventually. Obviously. But there was something that halted her from telling him the truth. For just the moment, she wanted to sit in front of the fire and not think about the events of the evening. The implications of what the next two months would look like. She didn't want to pay notion to the fact that her stomach twisted precariously at the thought of his arms wrapped around someone else.

 _He's been with plenty of other girls…what's the deal? Why is this so upsetting to you now, Weasley? What's wrong with you?_

"Nothing major…I think we'll be extending the tour…" she said, sighing. She hated lying to him.

"But the big questions is: are you getting us to America, Weasley?" He teased, finally freeing the zipper from it's hitch and zipping it down partially. He stepped back, sitting on the couch.

Rose noticed immediately how much colder she felt, even though she had not moved further from the fire.

"You bet your pretty arse we're going to America, Malfoy." she said haughtily, looking back. He was smiling at her. In a way that was making her feel almost… _risky_. She suddenly felt _too_ warm. She needed to get to the bathroom and out of her damp frock, fast.

"Thanks for the assistance…" she said softly, referring to the dress. "If you wait till I change, I'll make you a small sleeping draught. Help with your insomnia…"

"That'd be _just_ delightful, thank-you." He yawned, placing his head on a couch pillow.

Rose shut the bathroom door behind her, finally ridding herself of the soggy gown and changing into warmer, more opaque apparel. She scrubbed her make-up off, taking a hard look at her face. Rose Weasley knew she wasn't unattractive. She knew she had good hair and good skin and a nose that turned in the right way. She had been on the ganglier side growing up, but had grown into her figure, thankfully. However, right now, she was feeling very down on herself. She would love to be one of those girls who spent more time doing their hair, or applied more than _chapstick_ once in awhile. But right now, her life just didn't permit it. There was too much to get done, too many people to take care of.

She wasn't sure why she was disdainfully staring at herself in the mirror, why this sudden bout of melancholy had taken over…Then she realized; she was lonely. She hadn't had someone to love her…cherish her…call her beautiful, in over two years. She was disdainful, because Malfoy was going to get that. Even if it was all fabricated, he would still be getting the love that she wanted. She was jealous…

She narrowed her eyes at her silly reflection. _You envious brat._ Rose shook head, ridding herself momentarily of her juvenile thoughts. _You really need to get yourself together, Weasley…_

She smiled upon opening the bathroom door. Lying on the couch, bathed in a dancing amber glow was Scorpius Malfoy, fast asleep. _I guess he didn't need that draught after all._

She summoned a blanket, throwing it over him. A muffled "mhphanks Weasley…" came from him in a soft breath.

She thought about climbing into her cold, empty bed in the other room and the thought literally chilled her to the bone. She looked at the couch, where a perfect Rose-sized shape was available adjacent to Scorpius. She listened to the crackling fire and the boy's deep, rhythmic breathing. She realized she had already made up her mind.

She summoned another blanket for herself and began allowing sleep to take over her, savoring the beautiful, uncomplicated nature of this moment, knowing things would no longer be how they were…

—

omggggg. First big plot upheaval, revealed.

I hope you guys liked this chapter! And the conceptual dragon restaurant, lol.

I'm excited to have Angele play a bigger role in the story. I think you guys are really going to like her. I also think Mina will either grow on you, or you'll just despise her (it all depends on how you like your *bad* guys) The story's going to America and Japan, which I think will be super exciting!

I really love hearing what you guys think about the chapters, so reviewing makes my heart super super happy!

Here is my playlist for this episode. ALSO. There is a Lofi Mix called Raining In Paris (and if that isn't fitting for this chapter, I don't know what is) and I highly recommend looking it up.

 **Chapter 5 Playlist:**

-You Made Me Love You - Harry James

-Bewitched Bothered & Bewildered - Ella Fitzgerald

-Pain In My Heart - Otis Redding

-It's Only Fear - Alexi Murdoch (For the fireplace scene)

xoxo


	6. After All The Same

wow it's been so long. Truly, I had such a hard time with this chapter. It's such a turning point in the story and these two characters say so much without words, so it took a careful time to write.

I hope you like! Can't wait to get back on track with this story!

xoxo

—-

In her adulthood, it wasn't often that Rose Weasley felt out of control. Her early adolescence and genetic predisposition often gave way to fits of wild behavior and unpredictable malice. She would scream until her throat was hoarse and when she could no longer shout her intangible grief into the void, she would strike. She would ball up her fists and hit with all her might whatever surface was the closest; be it a wall…the ground…a fellow student.

Anything could set her off. Her unregulated rage was the cause of many a broken toy, broken arm, broken heart. Her earliest memory was a red burning fury at a lost game of tag that manifested, unintentionally, in James's jumper being set on fire. When her father died, the anger pitted and sank deep, deep within her. She could feel nothing but an expansive, unending loneliness that threatened to crack at the slightest look, or inconsequential word.

When she got older, and her wounds had the space and consequence to harden and heal, she found an immense sense of strength in the ability to manage her temper. She, for the first time in a long time, had control. She channeled the frenetic misery into being good at her job, being reliable to her family, being charismatic, being charming, turning an uncomfortable silence into a laughable moment, knowing what was happening at any and every moment. She learned to breath. She learned to count to ten. She learned to recite mantra's. She now had the capacity to dealign herself with her nature and that understanding alone, was intoxicating.

The anger was still there. Tiny, effervescent molecules she could feel at times creeping in the ends of her fingertips or rushing along the base of her skull. The anger was there, but it could be managed by a drink, a run…a shag. It rarely took hold of her.

Which is why her present state was inexplicably out of character.

" _I'm your manager, Malfoy. I'm managing you."_

This was not how she intended the conversation to go…

—-

It was raining. Again. How they had managed to come to Paris, during the wettest week in recent memory, was beyond her. Perhaps there was some cosmic malcontent feeding off her melancholy and forcing the heavens to open up and unleash the somber downpour. Although, truth be told, she did not think so high of herself as to believe her emotional stirrings had anything to do with the weather.

She always liked _Bugsy & Sautrelle's_ studio. It had a warm and ancient feeling akin to most structures with potent magical history. The boys had played a small session years back and she had instantly taken a liking to the place. She liked the deep, burgundy carpeting and the faded posters of old-timey musical acts. She liked the vague smell of cigar smoke and entomological etchings on the dark wood. She especially liked the roof. A large bricked structure, populated by tiny patches of flowers and other growing things. Usually you could find an employee or two on a lunch break up there or a PA having a solitary cigarette. However, due to the rain, there was but one lonely red-head, looking out over the washed city, not even attempting to shield herself from the drizzle.

"Not going to throw yourself off, I hope…" a voice drawled out behind her.

She sighed, turning around to face the boy she was unwilling to admit was a solid source of her current despondency, "I've been feeling rather dramatic lately- Don't you'd think it'd make a good headline?"

"Fancy catching a cold?" he laughed, raising a brow at the drenched nature of her personage. "You know you could always just lick a train turnstile?"

"I told you, I've been feeling dramatic. I'm imagining I'm standing on the edge of a moor, or something, and I'm about to drink arsenic because my betrothed has died in the war…" she sighed again, lifting her face up to the sky.

"Which war?" he teased, casting a small drying spell above him. Scorpius did not _love_ the rain.

"Any war. How did the interview go?" she said turning back to him. He nodded up at his patch of dry air looking at her as if to say; _if you'd like to stop being silly for a moment, I've managed to use a delightful little thing called 'magic' to keep myself dry. Care to join me?_

"Scintillating as always…", he smirked. Rose shuffled over to where his spell was cast, careful so as the action would not be deemed as intimate. "Al was on very good behavior. But he likes both of the bug duo, so that's to be expected…"

Rose laughed, "Bug duo…Love that. And the set went okay? No technical difficulties?". She was being nervous and evasive and she could tell Scorpius knew it.

He narrowed his eyes, but teased, "Yes…except for this one strange part where all our instruments caught on fire and Mart transfigured into a falcon…"

She pursed her lips, locking eyes with him for the first time since he had joined her roof-top musings. "Peregrine or Orange-Breasted..?" she mocked, lightly.

"Definitely Orange-Breasted." he said, wiggling his brows. "Next time, don't run up to the roof during our set, and we won't have these types of problems…"

"Sorry…" she muttered, looking down at her shoes, "I've got a bit on my mind right now. Just needed a little fresh air, is all."

Rose cast a small smile at him. She was hoping he would be willing to toe around the issue in the way they usually dealt with uncomfortable happenings.

"Well…" he said, his brow furrowing softly. "Would you like to share with the class?"

She laughed, but she could feel a hardening in her gut.

"It's something that's…a big deal" she started, casting her eyes away from his. Seeking frantic solace in anything but his tranquil blues. "But also… it isn't. It's- I'm- I know I try to seem like I know- Well… Tom thinks it's a good idea. I just-" She was floundering.

Scorpius was giving her a quizzical stare. The slight tenderness contained made her heart clench.

"Sorry…", she breathed, pushing her hair behind her ear "So, I'm getting us to America, I told you that."

"Right…" he said, leaning slightly on one of the aforementioned plant stands.

"There's a…stipulation of sorts.", she stammered. "The tour's getting extended. We aren't ending next month in London…".

She looked up at him. His face was expectant.

She breathed again, unsure of how she would realistically get this out. "You've heard of Angele…correct?"

He nodded, "Who hasn't..?"

"We're going to be her opener.", she said, shifting her weight from one foot to the next "WSR is billing us as a double act, essentially."

His brow furrowed again. "That's an incredible opportunity… Are you worried about Al? Him…not wanting to be someone's opener?"

Rose shook her head.

"There-there's another factor…", she said.

He looked at her again, expectantly; his brow still furrowed.

"Angele is…looking, well- her _management,_ is looking…for someone to attach to.."

"Come again?", he asked.

"They're looking to mature her image. They want her next public relationship to be with someone of a certain caliber…", her eyes were glued to a valerian shrub situated in a planter on the other side of the roof.

"I'm not follo-" he started.

"-This tour is contingent on the fact that a manufactured relationship arises from both parties…" she burst out, sighing and looking at him.

She could see the information register on his face. To her immense relief, the news seemed to settle rather unaffectedly. He cocked his head, with a small smile on his face.

"Al's going to fake date a french pop star?", he asked

Rose felt her stomach sink. No… he hadn't understood. She looked at him, unable to mask the pang of guilt that crossed her face. She didn't say anything. She couldn't.

She could see him reading her, slowly coming to the realization himself. He wasn't an idiot. He understood what her lack of a response meant .

"Weasley…you can't be serious…". The way he was looking at her right now, as the reality of the implication crossed his features, was almost too much for her to handle.

"They asked for you… Al is too valuable a commodity right now…" she said softly.

"And I'm not?", he asked, his tone suddenly shifting. He was angry.

"That's not what I mean, and you know it." she countered, looking back up at him.

"This is ridiculous, you can't expect me to be okay with this…" he said shaking his head.

"It's _three_ months.", she said. Her voice now laced with an edge. She was _not_ anticipating this level of anger from him.

"She's _a child."_ he countered, throwing a hand in the air.

"She's nineteen, Malfoy. She's barely younger than us.", she snapped back. She could feel the tiny pricks of heat beneath her temples. Her hands began to sweat. _Why was he acting like she had just asked him to shove his own mother off a balcony? Why was he so upset about this?_

"So, you just agreed to this?" he stammered. His cheeks were now burning red. "To signing my soul away for the sake of-"

She had seen him angry before. He had a temper. Just like her. But they _never_ fought with one another. He _never_ lost his temper with her. They were a team. They were friends. They were-

"Malfoy this is the _industry_!" Rose shouted, her voice raising as the tiny pricks formed into taught, fiery chords, pulsing through her whole body. "I'm not asking the world of you I-"

"You're _what?",_ he shouted back, taking steps away from her. He had a wild look in his eyes.

"I'm asking you to cooperate with me!" she too threw her hands in the air, gesturing wildly around. "For the sake of this band succeeding! For the sake of our futures!"

Her eyes were imploring. _Please don't make this harder than it is. Please understand. Please don't be angry with me._

"Bullshit." His voice was filled with mirth.

She opened her mouth, too stunned to speak. He had _never_ spoken to her like that. It felt like a slap in the face. She almost wanted to cry.

That's when she snapped.

"Oh _boo-hoo,_ you get to go on dates with a perfectly lovely and _very_ talented, I might add, girl.", She rounded on him, feeling the rage rising within her. "This is no different than the ongoing parade of girlfriends you've strung around for months at a time.", she advanced on him, a cruel smile painting over the pain she felt inside of her. "In fact- this may be a lovely opportunity for you to keep any relationship for longer than 2 weeks."

This time, he was stunned into silence.

"Fuck you." he said, icily.

"Fuck _you!"_ she cried, moving forward. They were practically chest to chest. Neither one of them willing to back down. _"_ This is the best possible thing for your career right now…Or is this all jut a game to you? Am I going to wake up one day and you're going to tell me you're done playing rock star and theres a position opening up at daddy's firm."

She was seeing red. She felt like something else was taking over her body. Like, she wasn't totally her own person. If her anger wasn't chaotically propelling her forward, now hellbent on destroying Scorpius Malfoy, she might have felt bad about that final comment.

"…I can't _believe-",_ he said, shaking his head. His eyes were steel, looking at her as if he didn't recognize her.

"You can't believe _what?",_ she snapped, again.

"I thought you were different- I thought-", the incredulous judgement in his tone was too much for Rose to bear.

She hated him in that moment. Hated the rage that had quickly taken hold of her. How years and years of managing her destructive temper had crumbled upon a few short words from someone she considered a deeply safe sea. She hated how fast her heart was beating. Hated how short of breath she was. Hated how she could _feel_ the heat radiating from him.

But most of all, she hated how she _knew_ this anger; this fiery depth, was different to anything she had felt before and she knew there was something deeper and more threatening beneath the words they were shouting at one another.

"You thought _what?!",_ her voice was a knife, _"_ I'm your _manager, Malfoy._ I'm _managing_ you."

Aside from the light patter of rain, there was a deafening silence between the two. They stared each other down. Rose now noticed the drying spell cast earlier had been long forgone. Scorpius was now just as drenched as she was. They were so close to one another, she could see the tiny droplets of water caught in his eyelashes.

Scorpius opened his mouth to speak.

"This isn't how we were going to do this…When we started this band…Me, you and Al…" his voice was low, and hollow "This isn't how it was supposed to go. Our success wasn't supposed to be because of…lies…and-"

"-This is how it works…", she pleaded, hugging her arms tightly to her chest.

"How _what_ works?", he implored, his voice breaking slightly.

" _This!_ All of this! All we've been working on for _years,_ Malfo-", now the debilitating anger had subsided, Rose felt an emptiness expanding within her. She felt herself withdrawing and retreating. She broke the gaze they had held, staring at the grey, wet cement below.

His tone changed suddenly, "Is this what _you_ want?"

Surprised by the question, she looked back at him. The intensity in his gaze caused her breath to hitch.

"I want what's best for the band.", she breathed, unable to break the pleading, imploring questions his eyes were asking.

"But. Is this what you want?", he asked again, taking a final step towards her. They had never, in all their years, been in this close of a physical proximity. They hadn't dared. Rose now understood why… The world was slowly beginning to melt away. She was no longer on a rooftop, no longer in Paris. She was suspended in a softly orbiting expanse, the only thing tying her to solid ground being the sharp curve of a jaw and a deeply sweet scent. _Had he always smelled like this?_ _Was he always this tall?_

"It's not about what I want…", she found herself saying, her voice barely above a whisper. Suddenly, she realized they were no longer talking about the band, or the arrangement, or music…

His eyes were searching hers; begging almost. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse and his breath was heavy.

"I haven't seen anyone in over a _year…_ You know that.", his hand flinched a his side for a moment, as if he was about move, but thought better of it. " _I know_ you know that… _Rose."_

 _Rose._ He said the name as if he was tasting it for the first time. _Rose…_ Such a simple word threw her back into a bittersweet reality. He was telling her too much. This formality they had shared between themselves, was the unspoken agreement. _This-_ this thing between them- could never happen.

There was too much to be lost. Too much to ruin. She wasn't right for him- right for anyone. _Why did he have to do this now? Why did he have to break the spell?_

" _I don- I-",_ Her voice was breaking.

"Look at me. Is this what you want?", His voice was desperate.

She needed to put an end to this. As she took her gaze away from his, she felt a delicate and poignant ripping in her chest; as if she was destroying something truly beautiful. The wonderful, slow-orbiting plane the two were floating in came to a devastating halt and they were both thrown back down to earth.

She shivered as the empty, black expanse inside of her grew until she was numb. She could feel nothing, hear nothing, say nothing…

"What do you want me to tell Tom…?", she asked, a hollow lump formed in her throat. She cemented her gaze to the floor, keeping the acute fear of remorse at bay.

She heard the scrape of his shoes on the pavement as he turned his back to her. He was silent for a time. When he spoke, Rose winced at the voided civility.

"Tell him I'll do it…and you deserve a raise.", he said quietly and almost cruelly. Without another word, he walked away from her. The slowly fading sound of his footsteps, a mirrored deadening of her own heart.

When she heard the door slam, the reality of everything that happened came crashing down around her. She let out a frustrated and heartbroken scream. She hated him. _She hated him._

 _I hate him. I hate him. I hate him; s_ he recited over and over in her head. She knew it was a lie. She knew she didn't hate him; _couldn't_ hate him. She repeated the deception to herself to keep away the tears that threatened to fall, to keep away the voice inside her screaming to run after him, to keep the fear of her quickly disintegrating reality at a safe distance.

But most of all, she repeated the blatant lie over and over to herself because the person she hated most…was herself.

—

 _eeeeeee!_ What a wild ride. Things are going to pick up like crazy from here on out. Hope you guys liked!

Here's some muuuuuusic:

Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 11: II. Romance - Chopin

No Fun - Novo Amor & Gia Margaret

Sugar Tastes Like Salt - The Orioles

Saint - Cairobi

I'm Not In Love - Kelsey Lu


	7. Chasing After Our Rainbows End

Sorry for being gone for so long! Gave you guys a nice, long chapter to make up for it! Hope you enjoy!

Ty to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and hello to anyone who found this one from 'And I Don't Hardly Know'. Welcome to Moon River :)

—-

"Okay- and so I want there to be synth. _Lots_ of synth. You know. I want that _whomp whomp feeling_. I want you to get really hit by the instrumentals-like, but delicately. Like your being held…and punched at the same time. Scorp- you know what I'm talking about-right?"

Al was on one his "inspiration benders"; as Rose liked to call them. As his mind was often a lunar push and pull of melancholy and mania, she found herself looking forward to the times this version of himself made an unexpected appearance. This Al was energetic, excitable and seemingly unburdened by his usual imminent threat of despondency. This Al wanted the world to be beautiful and meaningful. Something Rose could get behind.

When he wasn't planning out complicated stage performances, or composing _the next big hit._ He would talk… and talk and talk and talk to anyone who would listen. Rose typically found the chatter comforting and charming, it became a floating buzz that she could feel seeping into the crevices of their often hectic reality. But right now…

Right now, with her forehead resting cooly against the glass of the cab car, the rain coming down with a grey and apathetic smattering, her world having shifted suddenly to one of hollow uncertainty…she was acutely aware of his grave emotional disconnect. She wished, for once, he could sense something other than his own wild machinations. She wished he could read the room. Wished he could see the obvious tension between her and the stone-faced boy he was sandwiched in between.

She wished he would just _shut up._

" _Yes Al…_ Delicate. Hard. Cradle. Punch. Dichotomy. You're a revolutionary.", Scorpius sighed.

Rose winced inwardly. His voice was vacant and cold. He sounded a million miles away.

"Great-and I was thinking maybe we could bring in a choir. Maybe some singing toads, like we had back at school. Wouldn't that be a laugh?"

"Yes…a riot.", he sighed again.

"Oh, and Rosie. We need to completely reconfigure our approach thematically to this next album. We haven't got enough brooding songs. I want to write about toxic…tortured love. None of that bubblegum shit. Like, a relationship that may kill you, but you _need_ it. What say you? You think we can make that happen? Pull from the torrid affairs of our youth?"

Geez, she really just wanted him to shut-up. She _needed_ to get out of this car.

"Yeah, I'm sure my broom cupboard fumblings will be an excellent source of creative inspiration for you.", Her voice was lead.

He didn't seem phased.

"Well, Scorp and I have enough demented vixens between the two of us to keep you writing…Right mate?

Scorpius was dead silent from the other side of the car. Rose despised the way her stomach turned at the thought of how many _demented_ vixens she'd need to catalogue from his past, if Al had his way.

There was another moment of silence, then Al thew his hands in the air.

"What the fuck is going on in this car right now?! Did someone _die?"_

Neither one of the pair moved to answer his question. They both seemed to have adopted a _play dead_ strategy. If you say nothing, he'll just move on…

He whipped his head theatrically between the two, then called to the front seat.

"Mart, did someone die?!"

Marty turned to the back of the cab, his eyes glazed over with the type of absence given only to people who had neither the desire or consequence to know what was happening around them.

"…Voldemort." His sincerity was almost laughable.

Rose closed her eyes, begging for the sweet release of death…or an exit from this stifling cab. Whichever was easier.

"No one's died, Al. We're just…tired.". She could swear she heard Scorpius scoff from the other side.

"Well…", he said, folding his arms and sulkily sitting back in his chair. "Perk up! We've got a few weeks left of the tour and then we've got an album to make! I need you both on your A-game."

She could tell he didn't mean to come across as condescending as he did, but Rose was in no mood to give him the benefit of the doubt. In fact, she found herself entirely annoyed at his behavior, something she'd usually brush under the rug.

"Al. We aren't ending the tour at the end of the month. Change of plans.". She looked at him archly.

"Excuse me?", he said, eyeing her back.

"Change of plans. Tom and I handled it last night."

He seemed shocked into silence.

"We've been given a lovely opportunity." She said, cooly. She immediately regretted her outburst. She really didn't want to get into this conversation right now.

Something in Al's countenance switched. "Care to divulge the details? Considering this is _my_ band as well." She could see his eyes flash momentarily. Now clicked out of his excitable mood.

"Angèle's out an opening act. WSR is billing us as a double feature.", she said, still maintaining an intentional lack of emotion.

He was shocked again into silence.

"We'll be moving outside of Europe for the first time.", she said, her face an aloof countenance. She was steeling herself for a mild explosion from him.

His cheeks began to redden.

"Canada. America, Japan. Australia. Two months…" she rattled off, now choosing to look out the window.

"When did things like this start getting decided without me?!", his voice was low and filled with mirth.

She sighed and looked out the window, knowing how her next few hours would be spent. Coddling his ego, making sure he didn't go too _in_ on the liquor cabinet, making sure he didn't call Posey…or Miranda…or Jessica…or any of the other nightmares he attached himself to in his hours of need.

Normally, she would feel an anxious tremor running through her when dealing with Al's tantrums. She wouldn't be able to rest until she _knew_ he wasn't going to do something stupid. Right now, however, she just felt tired. He was a silly boy, and she was dealing with something much, much larger than his rampant insecurities.

He turned on Scorpius, suddenly.

"Did _you_ know about this?!"

Scorpius slowly turned to face his friend, giving Al a look that clearly said, Y _es you brainless idiot._ Al immediately went into a full-blown tantrum.

"What the hell is going _on_ with you two? Are you-you..", His face was contorted in disgust. He couldn't seem to form words for the _horror_ he was imagining. "or something? You're constantly talking behind my back…and your weird jokes-"

Rose needed to put an end to this. She was beginning to feel actually sick.

"-he _had_ to know, Al!", she interjected. "We wouldn't have booked the tour without his cooperation."

Al was silent. Moving his deepening gaze from Rose to Scorpius.

"…Angèle's my new girlfriend.", drawled the blonde. Rose could have kicked him. He was playing with Al, trying to get a rise out of him

" _What?"_ Now, he was shouting.

Rose sighed,"Can we talk about this when we're back at the flat? My head is literally about to split open."

"No, I need _answers!_ ", he shouted, slamming his palms on his legs _"_ This is my band too!"

He sounded unbelievably childish. Rose wanted to smack him.

"Oh my god, will you get over yourself?", she shouted back. "It's not real! None of it is real!"

Al's eyes were practically bugging out of his head.

"Malfoy is entering into his first artificial relationship, for the sake of publicity. We're all very happy for him.", Rose said, tersely. She was still unable to look him in the eyes.

Al slammed his back into the seat, yet again. Rose closed her eyes. This car was much to small for the menagerie of emotions currently on display.

"Good for you, Scorp!" called Marty from the front seat.

"Thanks, mate.", said Scorpius, without a hint of sincerity.

Al was complacent for neigh of a moment before he was back. This time, with extra vigor.

"Why not _me?",_ he whined.

Rose squeezed the bridge of her nose, attempting to quell her annoyance.

"You are a _child_ , you know that?", she said exasperatedly.

"I could be in a fake relationship…", he cried.

"I'm not having this conversation with you right now.", she said.

"Talk to me! You _never_ talk to me anymore.", he shouted, turning fully towards her. She knew he was using every tactic in his playbook.

It wasn't working.

"I'm not talking to you if you're yelling at me in the back of a cab car, when I just need some fresh air!", she shouted back.

"I'm not-" He started

"You _are.",_ she seared. She stared at him, then. Unmoving, unrelenting. She had no idea what had taken ahold of her. She could see a rapid movement of understanding pass across his features. She knew he was trying to see exactly what lengths he needed to go in order to get his way.

" _Pull over the car.",_ he said, icily.

"What?", she cried.

"Pull the car over! Now!", he shouted at the driver.

"Albus. It's raining.", she countered, exhaustedly.

"Do not pull the cab over. Don't listen to him.", Scorpius called, calmly.

"Pull this damn cab over. Rosie needs _fresh air.",_ His voice was tense.Now that Scorpius had come to her defense, he was angry.

" _Albus.",_ her voice was low.

"Tell me what's going on, then!". He looked at her with wild eyes.

"I already told you.", she tensed, the strain in her voice betraying her calm.

He saw it.

"I'm getting out. I can't stand being in this car right now.", he said quickly, his hand reaching over to rest on the handle of the back seat door.

"You're being insane.", she shouted.

"Al-", finally Scorpius chimed in. But it was too late. In a triumphant moment of lunacy, Al retched the door open and barreled himself into the steady downpour.

"Albus! What the f-", Rose was fuming. She called to the cabby, "I'm so sorry. Can you please stop the car?"

"What's he on about now?", she heard Marty inquire absently from the front seat.

They screeched to a stop. From where Rose was seated, she could see his vague form heave dramatically onto a park bench across the way.

She sighed, burying her face in her hands and letting out a frustrated groan. She steeled herself for the agonizing complacency she would need to administer -in the rain, no less- to her dear, emotionally vindicated cousin. She'd done it a thousand times, for worse reasons.

However, there was a fiery snap she felt absent in her core right now. She was spent. She was exhausted. She was-

All of a sudden, she heard the sound of a door slam. She looked up, to see Scorpius running through the grey haze, shielded only by his overcoat.

She could only make out misty pantomimes of their discussion. Albus was waving his hands around wildly, his upset painted fully on his features. Scorpius kept attempting to quell the anger, asking him to sit; asking him to go back to the car. Albus was unrelenting.

Then, it seemed, Scorpius snapped. He was shouting, pointing his fingers at Albus. At one point, he grabbed the boys shoulders and shook him. Albus seemed abruptly taken aback by the anger. Then, they both backed down. They both seemed worn. Scorpius turned suddenly, pointing to the car. Pointing directly to her. She felt her heart jump.

An unreadable expression crossed Albus's face. Then he nodded and the two of them stood there, just looking at one another. Scorpius made the first move to return to the car. Albus quickly followed.

The entire argument was over in less than 10 minutes. Rose couldn't believe it.

The rest of the car ride was spent in an exhausted silence. Al huffed and hawed and ignored her, but she could tell his anger had been abated. She was desperate to know what Scorpius had said to Albus to make him so readily willing to give-in. It was uncharacteristic of him. Uncharacteristic of both of them -actually.

Scorpius was not one to stand up for Rose. She never expected him to. It wasn't his job. However, he had done just that. Without her asking. Without her even knowing, at first. She didn't know what to make of it.

As they rounded the corner, bringing them to the final stretch before the long awaited arrival home, Rose felt her stomach bottom-out as a familiar sound reached her ears.

 _Screams_

Standing in front of their rented apartment, was a swarm of _mademoiselles_ , holding up posters and shouting the names of the band-mates as if their lives depended on it.

"Oh shit…", Said Rose, craning forward to the front seat, "Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit…"

"What the fuck…", said Albus softly,

"No ones supposed to know we're here…", said Rose, attempting to keep the frantic tone out of her voice. They were used to this type of treatment in England. They didn't anticipate any of this type of attention in Paris. They didn't have any security detail, or a back-up plan. They were going to get mobbed.

Not to mention the fact, they were in a muggle area.

"Who tipped them off?", asked Scorpius, addressing her for the first time since the roof.

She whipped her head back around, finding immense relief in the concern played on his features, "I have no idea… There's no way you three are going to get though that crowd without a guard. Those girls look like they're out for blood…"

She looked back up to the front, "Okay, here's what we're going to do…"

She had finally snapped out of her melancholy. She was _Rose Weasley_ , goddammit.

"We're going to go round the back. I want you boys down on the ground."

An annoyed gasp came from Albus.

"-I _don't_ care if your jacket gets mussed. I don't want a riot happening-", Her tone was firm, "We're calling Tom the minute we get back in and I'm having him send over at _least_ two guards. And we're moving location immediately."

As the three boys shimmied down their seats, the cab driver, who had been _quite_ the patient chauffeur, finally broke his stoic spell and looked perplexedly at Rose.

"Uh..um-", Rose was wracking her brain, " _A' derriere_ , Sil vous plait?"

He seemed even more unsure of her request.

She turned back, hoping one of them would have the language competence, she was so clearly lacking.

Scorpius cleared his throat and sighed, "Pouvez-vous nous emmener à l'arrière du bâtiment?"

She looked at him gratefully, "Merci…", she sighed softly.

He gave her a small smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

The cabbie looked back at Scorpius through the rearview, "Etes-vous tous…célèbres?"

Scorpius chuckled ruefully, "Dans un sens…"

—-

"Tom, they're everywhere-," exclaimed Rose, peeking gingerly through the curtains, onto the street below, "I'm afraid they're going to cause some sort of scene…this neighborhood is muggle."

Thankfully, they had made it back to their flat without an uproar. Rose was nervously pacing around the apartment, while the three boys sat in silence. They knew, for the most part, not to make trouble when Rose was in a state such as this.

"Have the boys go down! Placate the crowd…That'll clear the scene!", Tom's voice came through the blue mist, "We can't get you all out of there smoothly without the area being clear. France has strict apperation laws, you know that."

Rose blanched, "Tom, we've got _no_ security. The fans will eat them alive!"

"Rosie! Do you think I'm a monster?", He laughed vacantly.

There were two distinct pops. All of a sudden, two large figures in dark suits were standing quietly in the corner of the apartment. Rose almost screamed.

"-That should be Rainsford and Emil…", called Tom.

All four turned their heads to check the silent duo. The two gave a nod of acknowledgement.

"…Sign a few autographs, give a few hugs. Make the most of it, darling. This is a _good_ thing."

Rose sighed, "I understand. I'm just worried about our safety in the future. We have no idea who gave our location away…"

"Speaking of a good thing…", continued Tom, ignoring Rose, "What's the status with Malfoy. Do I hear love birds chirping?"

Rose winced, locking eyes with Scorpius from across the room. His face was unreadable.

"Tom, It's Scorpius…", the boy in question called out calmly, "Weasley and I have discussed and we're willing to give it a go."

Tom hurrah'ed, "Oh, divine. I'll reach out to Angèle's team shortly. Rose, I'll be sending you details as well. This is _excellent_ news… Good work, you two. You make an exquisite team."

Neither of the pair seemed to be able to look at each other.

"Thanks Tom.", said Rose quietly.

Tom cleared his throat, "Alright, now go make those _mademoiselles_ happy. _And_ buy some albums…"

"Of course, Tom..", Rose sank down onto a nearby chair as the call ended. She sat there for a moment, her wand gripped in her hand.

"So…what's the plan, Rosie?" asked Albus. There was still a bit of snap in his tone from their rather eventful car ride, but she could see the slight anxiousness behind his eyes.

She stood, "You three. Get changed. No pictures, just signing. Keep the physical contact to a minimum. We'll have this done with in less than an hour. I'm going to pack-up while you're down there and we'll have relocated before the day is done. Sound good?"

The trio wordlessly began moving themselves through the flat. Rose went up and shook hands with their new brawny companions.

"Thanks for coming on such short notice," she sighed, "If it gets crazy down there, feel free to yank them out."

The duo nodded silently.

"And, I mean really…" she poached, attempting to lighten the conversation at hand, " _Drag_ them. They could use a bit of knocking around."

All she received from their new guards were a few solemn blinks.

"Al!", she said, turning away from the tough crowd, "Don't wear the blue shirt, it hasn't been washed in weeks. You'll smell like an Owlrey."

A groan was heard from the other room.

"Mart, your trousers are on completely inside out…Come on. It's like you lot are a bunch of toddlers! We've got _ladies_ to impress!" She cried, marching fully through the apartment, grabbing loose garments and chucking them into open suitcases. "And _albums to sell!"_

She flicked her wand up, dialing for Deliah.

"How come you never rag on Malfoy for the way _he_ dresses?" whined Marty, hobbling into the main room with one shoe on.

"Hey Deils!" said Rose to the mist. She turned to Mart and shushed him with a finger, "Have we gotten clearance on lodging yet?"

A bright voice came through the mist, "Hi dearie. Let me confirm. Can I put you on a brief hold?"

"Sure thing." sighed Rose, moving to fold a pile of sweaters. "…Malfoy has many traits I deem…woefully inconvenient." She turned back to Marty, "But his ability to dress himself is not one of those."

She couldn't help it. She turned her head in his direction. He was straightening his collar in the mirror across the room. He didn't look at her, but she saw a a quirk of a grin cross his features.

She hated the warm flood of relief she felt at his gesture.

"Dearie?" Deliah's voice came through the mist.

"Present!" called Rose, snapping her head away from the scene across the apartment.

"You're cleared for departure at 3pm. Location is… Maison… Des Rivières? Not sure if I'm even saying that correctly. French is _such_ a language."

"House of Rivers. Got it.", said Rose, "Thanks, Deils."

"Good luck!", the voice was drowned out as the blue mist disappeared back into Rose's wand.

She looked up. All three members were standing at the door, waiting for her signal.

"Knock em' dead, boys…"

—-

She watched through the curtains as the trio descended onto the scene below. The screams were unearthly…However, they filled Rose with a small sense of pride. This was her work come to fruition. Things were _happening._

She pulled herself away from the spectacle, feeling a small curl of distain as she watched legions of girls wrap their arms freely around… a certain blonde… She didn't love the way _that_ made her feel.

She took in her surroundings; realizing, for the first time that day, that she was alone. The screams outside seemed to echo around her in a way that felt out-of body. Each step she took around the empty flat seemed almost obtrusive. Her brain was foggy in a way that was unfamiliar…

She took a seat on the bed, slowly recounting the new realities of their lives.

They were going to America…

They were touring alongside Angèle…

Angèle and Scorpius….

 _Angèle and Scorpius…_

 _Scorpius…_

Rose squeezed her eyes shut, willing the familiar yet somehow mythical discomfort at the thought of this unfortunate part of the agreement to go away. To no avail, it seemed. A flash of his eyes; piercing and searching. His scent; soft and familiar.

" _Fuck you!"_

" _Fuck YOU!"_

She felt like a different person up on that rooftop. How had her made her so angry? How had he provoked her to say such hurtful things?

" _I thought you were different…"_

Rose felt her stomach turn again… Is that really why he was so angry? What was he telling her? What was he asking of her? She felt like she could barely remember the words exchanged. Truth be told, her head was still caught in the space of their proximity… the way he looked at her…the soft rasp of his inquiry… She hated it.

" _Is this what you want?"_

Is this what she wanted?

She shook her head, marching off the bed to continue consolidating the apartment. There was another wave of screams. Yes. This _is_ what she wanted.

She wanted their success. _Her_ success.

She wanted to travel the world. Make beautiful music. Meet people. Attain prestige. The whole nine yards.

She _wanted_ this.

Another flash of their argument came suddenly in her mind. A flash she had been attempting to keep at bay since the initial outburst. The memory of it stopped her in her tracks.

" _Rose…"_

That word. Such an innocuous one. Coming from his mouth. She wasn't sure what he was on about with that… Was it desperation? Anger? Was it fear? If she was honest, it made her a little weak in the knees.

But wasn't that just Scorpius? Wasn't he always making people weak in the knees? She'd known him for the better half of her life…

But then again, he hadn't been looking at her that way for the better half of their lives…

She turned suddenly, facing the mirror Scorpius had quietly acquiesced to, just moments earlier. Her sallow skin and tired eyes inspired a small sinking feeling in her stomach. She furrowed her brow, looking directly at herself. _But that wasn't real…_

She knew…starting in less than 3 days he would be arm in arm, on the cover of every magazine, on stage every evening; with France's most darling pop-star. That would only be the beginning. Today it's pop-stars… tomorrow its actresses, models…who knows. That was the life she was creating for them. _This is real._

She looked down, noticing for the first time, a small jumper that had been left in the corner of the room. She reached to grab it, recognizing the forest green knit immediately.

It smelled like him. That soft, familiar scent. It was instinctual. It made her heart ache. She folded it into the smallest ball she could, and placed it deliberately at the bottom of the suitcase.

 _Grow-up, Rose._

As, she snapped the clasps of the trunks closed and began moving them to the living room, there was a sound of the door slamming.

She looked up to see Scorpius slowly moving to the couch, a very weary expression on his face. She didn't say anything, she just filled a glass of water and placed it quietly beside him.

She sat down on the sofa, opposite him, and began slowly leafing through her planner. She was in the process of modifying the crew itinerary for tomorrows performance, when she heard a sound from the other side of the room.

She looked up, wondering if she had maybe imagined it.

"Hmm?" she inquired.

"I said… 'L'." His eyes were closed, leaning his head against the back of the couch. She noticed, with a slight twinge in her chest, that he was bouncing one of his legs. _Something he only did when he was nervous._

Rose felt her insides do a small somersault at his tiny olive branch.

"…Lumos Brothers…", she said after a moment, turning back to her itinerary.

He brought his head back up, noticing the water and taking a sip.

"Lobberflworm…"

"…The Levitensions"

"Liliana Logworth"

"Oh, good one. Double L. Two points…"

He gave her a small salute…"That means you have to go twice now."

She smirked, "Does it?"

"I don't make the rules, Weasley." She hadn't looked up from her planner, but she could tell there was a smile in his voice.

"The…the….Lockhearts?", she drew out, unconvincingly.

He smiled, "That's not a band. You're just making things up now."

She closed the planner, smiling back at him, "It's a band, _I swear."_

"Sing _one_ song from 'The Lockhearts'..", he threw-up two mock quotes around the word, making her fib seem even more obvious.

She thought quick, "Baby…I loved you so much…I forgot who I was… You made me lose my mi-i-i-i-i-nd…"

He looked at her suspiciously, "You're lucky you're a gifted song writer…"

She cocked her head to the side, "Your turn now!"

He shook his head, "Ah ah. You owe me one more, remember?"

"Then I'm out.", she surrendered, tossing her hands up. "No more fake bands in this arsenal…"

He chuckled, "I knew it…"

They were silent for a bit, the sounds from outside washing around them like an off-kilter soundtrack. They had never fought that badly before. For Rose, she didn't know what making-up would even look like between the two of them. A silly game may be the closest thing they would get to an apology.

She was truly fine with that.

"-Are you going-", she started.

"-I just want y-", he overlapped.

They laughed, almost nervously, at their mutual interruption.

Scorpius began, "Am I going back downstairs? Yes. I just needed a bit of a breather. The two of them are much better at this than I am. That many people… Just- a lot at once…"

Rose nodded, holding back from saying something about how much more he would of this he would be subject to in the next few months…"And what were you going to say?"

He cleared his throat. He seemed to be searching for words. "I- I told Al. When I ran after him- just a bit ago. I told him- I said you wouldn't ever do anything that wasn't in the best interest of the band… of all of us."

She was silent, nodding in appreciation.

"I just want you to-", he cleared his throat again, "I just want you to know, that's what I said. He's aware of that- all the time. I know he is. But sometimes, I think he just needs someone to remind him…"

Rose smiled, but there was a bittersweet feeling attached to his words. She couldn't quite put her finger on it… "Or shake him…", she teased lightly, trying to maintain levity.

He laughed tiredly, rubbing his hands over his face. "Yes. Well. On that note- better make my way back downstairs…"

"Wouldn't want Emil or Rain… _cloud_ worrying about you", she quipped.

"Yes…You can tell those two are obviously _very_ emotional people", he groaned, getting up from his seated position, and moving to stretch his arms. "Merlin, I'm dead tired. We're moving at 3, you said? Nothing sounds better than a goods night slee-"

There was a distinctive little tap at an adjacent window. The two looked towards the source of the disturbance. They were surprised to see two pastel colored doves, hovering by the window an carrying -or attempting to carry- a small package between them.

Scorpius moved towards the window, intrigue still present on his countenance. The winged pair flew directly towards Rose, dropping the parcel in her lap.

"What the…", mused Rose, feeling the weight of the package with her hands.

The birds then flew towards Scorpius; resting on his shoulders and coo-ing. The two humans in the room were more confused than before…

"Well…I don't think they're going to take off till you open the damn thing…", he said slowly, nodding towards the feathery duo, who were currently nestling themselves quite comfortably into the crook of his neck.

Rose pulled at the strings, revealing a small box encased in a menagerie of pink and purple tulle. A card sat atop, with a an embellished script written on the front

 _To our new companions, We just heard the good news!_

 _We hope you enjoy this present. It will keep us close in contact._

 _Enclosed are your tickets for this evening_

 _See you then…_

 _xo Mina_

Rose traced the edges of the card with her fingertips…she was attempting to quell a rising, icy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She opened the box, finding her way through the puffy fabric. encased inside were four glittering passes - _Angèle_ printed in a bold, iridescent script- and a small broach, the shape of which seemed to be a ladybug.

"Who's it from?"

Rose turned to look at Scorpius, he was momentarily immobilized by the roosting doves.

"Mina…" Rose said, looking back at the present, palming the little ladybug in her hand, "You'll meet her. She's…interesting."

Upon seeing Rose place the package down, their avian companions decided their work there was done and abruptly took off towards the window, eliciting a small yell from Scorpius.

Rose laughed, "I'm assuming you'll be seeing a bit more those two.."

"Angèle's?" he asked, vigorously dusting off his shoulder.

Rose's grin faltered, and she turned back down to inspect the tiny bejeweled insect. It was a beautiful piece, but it seemed out of character in the girly gifting, "Exactly…"

He grabbed the box, pulling out the shining tickets. His expression was mute.

"So…I guess a good night's sleep is _not_ what I'm going to get this evening…", he sighed.

Rose shook her head.

He closed his eyes for a moment. If she didn't know him in the way that she did, she would have assumed this momentary halt was something akin to peaceful mediation. However, she _did_ know him. He was restructuring, reorienting… He didn't like being upset. He didn't like feeling out of touch, or out of control. He was steeling himself; preparing himself.

He turned to her with a soft smile, "Well, I guess this evening's as good as any to meet the love of my life…"

Oh, how Rose wished the sound of those words didn't make her stomach sink…

—-

Rose Weasley was literally awestruck.

She had never been privy to a spectacle like this in her entire life.

She turned her head slowly to look at her companions, gauging their reaction to the spectacular display they were currently subject to. Their jaws were practically on the floor. Even Emil and Rainsford were standing at slightly more attention than usual.

 _What the hell had they gotten themselves into?_

The move to the new location had happened rather smoothly, to Rose's immense relief. Their necessary attendance at Angele's show was met with mixed reviews from the remainder of the band. However, when they pulled up to the venue, and promotional posters of barely clad back-up dancers wearing angel wings and…not much else, came into view, the complaints were minimized.

They were met by Mina at the back entrance. She was bright and full of smiles, embracing the three boys and kissing them warmly on the cheeks. Rose was caught of guard by the welcome, but she could sense a manic undercurrent in Mina's warm greetings. To her, Scorpius was an incredibly valuable commodity, a prize that she had just recently won.

It made Rose feel queasy.

They were taken to a box, overlooking the entire arena. This was the largest stage Rose had seen in her entire career. The scope of it took her breath away…

"I can't believe we'll playing something this massive soon…", she heard Albus say softly beside her.

She turned to him, feeling a small wave of happiness at how his large, expressive eyes were shining. It was a confirmation of her decision. _She had done the right thing._

She looked down at the crowd below, amusedly taking in the young girls with small angel wings attached to their backs. Everywhere you looked, there were wings, feathers, glitter, halo's…

"Feels almost sacrilegious, don't you think?", said Scorpius beside her, with a sly grin.

"She's got better branding than you or I could ever conceive for this band, so don't get too critical…", she teased, catching site of a group of young girls, no older than twelve, sporting bright pink crop tops with _Angèle_ bedazzled in glittering gem stones. "I'll get you in something bejeweled, Malfoy. Mark my words…"

Soon, the lights went down, and a cacophony of screams erupted around them.

"…Fucking hell…", said Albus, in awe.

" _Angèle! Angèle! Angèle!"_ , the crowd chanted.

All of a sudden, tiny pink feathers began to rain from the ceiling…

The booming base of the song, first heard at La Magie, washed over the crowd as the feathers hit the audience and burst into tiny, effervescent sparkles.

 _Je vis dans une galaxie_

 _Ombres saturées_

The sound of screaming was overpowering.

The curtain covering the stage rose slowly, revealing a legion of feathery dancers contorting and writhing to the beat of the song. The stage was covered in large, bulbous clouds resembling a fluffy sort of whipped texture. They seemed to bob and sway to the rhythm of the music as well.

 _Chagrin et symétrie_

 _D'un décor penché_

There was a lull in the beat, and the group of dancers turned to the center of the stage. The lights went down, washing the entirety of the audience in a deep magenta glow. Rose felt her heart speed up with anticipation.

The song continued as a large, lilac, translucent sphere began to descend onto the stage. You could see the vague form of a figure suspended inside the egg-like shape. The crowd erupted into mania.

 _Au loin les filles nues_

 _Se regardent danser_

 _Au loin les filles nues_

 _Se regardent danser_

Just when it seemed the song could no longer stay suspended in it's current state, the beat dropped; breaking out the encased figure and filling the area with pulsing purple lights and a sweet lavender scent.

There she was.

 _Maintenant la pluie tombe_

 _Sur ta cuisse galbée_

Not to be outdone by her fans, she dropped delicately onto the stage sporting an iridescent pair of wings and a pale pink get-up made up of nothing but lace and ribbons.

 _Et parfois je songe_

 _À tout abandonner_

This Angèle was unlike the one she had met at dinner the evening prior. This Angèle was commanding, flirty, vivacious and sexy. She strutted around the stage, whipping around a large purple ponytail, whispering lyrics with a sultry voice and moving provocatively along with her back-up dancers.

Everywhere you turned there was something happening. Glittering fireworks pulsing to the groove of the song, and spelling out words of the song. Rose felt completely immobilized with wonder.

She had never seen anything like this.

All of a sudden, there was a curling voice in her ear.

"Miss Weasley, what do you think?"

It was Mina. Rose turned to her. She could see the ravenous satisfaction painted clearly on her face.

"It's incredible!", she said genuinely, attempting to be heard over the music "I'm completely blown away!"

Mina smiled, "This is only the beginning… You will see…"

Mina was right. The rest of the concert only got more elaborate and more awe inspiring. Each song had a different stage design, a different costume, different hair color… Rose was fighting a growing feeling of insignificance.

Towards the end of the show, during a number where Angèle sat solo on stage, crooning a ballad while visions of a starry night sky played around her, Mina leaned again towards Rose, whispering as if she had a delicate secret.

"For our coming shows…If all goes well…", she motioned her head in the direction of Scorpius, "We will have the two of them on stage for this number. A duet."

Rose widened her eyes, attempting to feign enthusiasm, "Oh! Yes. People will love that."

"I think…", said Mina artfully, "A kiss at the very end, no?"

Rose ignored the punch she felt directly in her gut. For some reason, she had not taken that particular element into consideration… "I'm getting excited just thinking about it…", she said with as much reverence as she could muster.

The rest of the show passed by ceremoniously, while Rose attempted to push the unwanted darkened feelings out of her system.

As the crowds of hoarse, exhausted and exhilarated attendees slowly filed out of the stadium. Rose and company were led backstage. As they made their way through a dimly lit hall, she couldn't help but hear the faint ploddings of Sonata No.2 Op. 35 in B-Flat Minor…

Funeral March.

She shook her head, shaking the melancholic notion out of her.

Soon, they were in a large dressing suite. The room in question looked as if it was an amalgamation of the entire show they had just witnessed crammed into one space. Tulle, feathers, glitter…Everywhere you looked, there was some pastel distraction.

"Rose!", a voice shouted out. Suddenly, there were a small set of arms that wrapped themselves tightly and enthusiastically around her.

" _Merci, Merci_ for coming!", the glittering person who had so excitably attached herself to Rose pulled back, kissing her cheeks with delight. Her hair had been transformed to it's normal deep brown. She looked young and girlish again, " _As-tu aimé_? Did you like?"

Rose smiled. It was hard not to be charmed by the young star. "Angèle, it was incredible! You are…so, so talented."

Angèle flushed. She seemed truly warmed by Rose's compliment, "Merci.. I am so happy for that…"

Her eyes flicked suddenly to the figure to Rose's right. She grinned again ,with a new sparkle in her eyes. "Scorpius!"

This was the moment.

His eyes were wide, but amused. Rose could tell he was totally disarmed by her effervescence. She embraced him in the same way she had embraced Rose.

"It is a pleasure to meet you!", she exclaimed in between pecks.

He smiled, "C'est un plaisir de vous rencontrer aussi…"

Her eyes widened and she turned to Mina excitedly, "Il parle français?"

Mina chuckled, "So it would seem darling…"

She turned back to Scorpius, "Tu parle français?"

"Oui, ma grand-mère est française.", He explained, rubbing the back of his neck. "Du côté de ma mère.."

Angèle clapped her hands, looking back at Mina. "Le dernier garçon nous avions seulement parlé italien!"

Scorpius laughed, his face turning a slight shade of red. Rose ached for how uncomfortable he looked.

Mina turned to Rose, explaining, "Her last relationship was with an Italian film star. Communication was… a bit difficult at the time."

Rose laughed -too hard, if she was being honest-, feeling woefully out of place. The pair to her right chattered away in French at a pace she couldn't keep up with. It made her feel silly and small.

Mina grabbed her arm lightly, "Let's give them a bit of alone time. I'll introduce you to our team…"

She was dragged around the large room, shaking hands with make-up artists, hair-stylists, security guards -four to be exact-, publicists, PA's, dancers. Angèle had a veritable carnival of people at her disposal, making her operation thrive.

It made Rose's small function seem deplorably inadequate.

She couldn't help but covertly check on the scene across the room. It seemed it was going well, actually. Scorpius seemed much more at ease, venturing even to crack a few jokes. Rose felt a slight curve of satisfaction as she watched the pair.

They _were_ a beautiful couple. The fans would fall head-over-heels for the both of them. This was the start of something massive for all of them. She could feel the energy even from where she was standing.

He looked up, catching her eye for a moment and giving her a small grin. The grin said ' _You were right. This isn't going to be that bad…"_

It would have been perfect.

Except for the dreadful, defeating, deflating, debilitating feeling she felt every time she saw Angèle rest her hand lightly on his arm, or Scorpius smile at her silly joke.

It would have been perfect.

But she knew it was far from it.

—-

So…things are finally starting to ramp-up! I'm so excited for you guys to get the next chapter, it's the one I've been imagining and reworking since I started writing this piece!

Thank you to everyone who reviews and continues to support this story. Your words mean so much more to me than you know, and it really encourages me to keep writing.

Would love to know your thoughts on anything! You all are incredible :')

Can you guess which song Scorpius and Angèle will end up having to duet?

This playlist is songs I imagine having a similar feel to Angèle's music (some by the actual artist named Angèle, haha!)

Je Veux Te Voir - Yelle

Je Veux Tes Yeux - Angèle

Confetti - Julia Jean Baptiste

Nue - Clara Luciani

Repose en Paix - Tessa B.

Until next time!

xoxo


	8. Waiting Round The Bend

_Hi guys!_ Sorry for the long hiatus. This chapter and the next one are parts of the story I've been envisioning since I started writing this story, i wanted to make sure they were perfect.

To be honest, I fell a little bit out of love with what I was writing. Luckily, you all are the sweetest with this story and left some really inspiring reviews that got me motivated again (it's silly, but sometimes even the smallest comment can mean so much)

This was originally meant to be one chapter, but it kept growing and growing, so it's split into two. The second part will be posted sooner than later… I hope!

So much love! xoxo

—-

 _Rose, It's Tom. You've got your contract signing tomorrow at 8. Can you make sure you've both read up on the termination clauses? I had Deils send over yesterday via post. Let me know if you didn't receive_

 **GOLDEN TRIO CANCELS FINAL TOUR DATES; WSR YET TO COMMENT ON STATUS**

 **-The Daily Prophet, March 23rd**

 _Rose, this is Mina. I want to discuss outfits for their first public outing. The premiere for Le Contemps should be of great importance. Call me when you have a chance…_

 **A HEAVENLY DUO: FRENCH SONGSTRESS ANGÈLE & GOLDEN BOY, SCORPIUS MALFOY MAKE A STUNNING ENTRANCE TOGETHER AT FRENCH PREMIERE**

 **-The Daily Prophet, March 25th**

 _Tom again, the paper dropped this morning. Did you see? Bigger than anything we thought. People love the pair. We're already getting interview requests. We want to push the drop of the tour dates. I'll call you later in the afternoon to discuss._

 _Rose? This is Lily. I just saw the paper. What the hell! Angèle? Scorpius? Since when did this happen? You've got some explaining to do…_

 **SPOTTED AGAIN! OUR LATEST LOVE OBSESSION SHARES A MORNING PASTRY ON THE STREETS OF PARIS. READ MORE FOR 10 REASONS WHY WE CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF THIS COUPLE**

 **-The Daily Prophet, March 30th**

 _Mina here, Did you receive the rehearsal schedule? We've got the stage available from 7am-5pm today and tomorrow. We'll be running through the opening number and the duet, so everyone needs to be on time._

 **SCORPIUS MALFOY WALKS ARM IN ARM WITH GIRLFRIEND, ANGÈLE. CLOSE FRIENDS DISCLOSE: "THEY'RE IN LOVE!"**

 **-Spellbound Times, April 2nd**

 _Hey Rose, it's Madeleine. A woman named...Mina just called me about costuming for the upcoming shows. She said something about over seven changes? Call me back._

 **EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH OUR MOST DIVINE POP-STAR: ANGÈLE TELLS US WHY SHE BELIEVES SHE'S FINALLY FOUND THE ONE…**

 **-Bewitched Weekly, April 10th**

 _Are you coming home for dads birthday? Mum wants to know. This is Hugh by the way._

 _Hello Miss Weasley. This is Albert in booking at Warbeck Wireless. We'd love the opportunity to interview Scorpius while you're here in the states. Let us know if that's something you'd be interested in._

 **WEIRD SISTER RECORDS ANNOUNCE: ANGÈLE TO EXTEND TOUR; GOLDEN TRIO TO HEADLINE. TICKETS ON SALE NOW!**

 **-Mystical Sound Magazine, April 11th**

 _You've sold out the tour, Rose. The dates have been available for less than 24 hours and it's completely gone. Go out and celebrate with the boys. You all deserve it._

 **THE COUPLE THAT WORKS TOGETHER, STAYS TOGETHER. SCORPIUS & ANGÈLE DISH ON THEIR UNCONVENTIONAL "OFFICE ROMANCE".**

 **-Bewitched Weekly, April 15th**

 _Rose, this is Mina. Angèle and I have arrived at the restaurant for the dinner date. Let us know your estimated time of arrival, as we'd like to have them make an entrance together._

 _Mina here! Are you available to talk? I had some thoughts about public appearances for when we travel to Italy. Did you receive the itinerary I sent over?_

 **NOT-SO-GOLDEN EVENING OUT? ALBUS POTTER SEEN LATE LAST NIGHT CAUSING A BIT MORE THAN MISCHIEVOUS MAYHEM. SHOULD HIS FANS BE WORRIED?**

 **-Spellbound Times, April 19th**

 _Rose, it's Al. We can't get in the building- the crowd is totally insane. We're looping around the block. Can you send Emil or Rainsford down? It's honestly... Well, can you just send them? Thanks._

 **I WENT TO GOLDEN TRIO'S LATEST SHOW, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO…JUST KIDDING! EVERYONE NEEDS TO SEE THIS AMAZING PERFORMANCE! (MY TOP 5 FAVORITE MOMENTS)**

 **-Bruja With A Blog, April 23rd**

 _Buongiorno, bella! Tom here. I've confirmed with Mina all your travel details. We're having Scorpius and Angèle meet with the Italy's current "it couple" before their show, this evening. Also, how's the progress with the album coming along? I wanted to talk to you about some sort of collaborative effort…_

 **COUPLE GOALS: ANGÈLE AND NEW-BEAU, SCORPIUS MALFOY, STUN IN MATCHING ROBES AT LAST EVENING'S BARBAGE FUNDRAISER**

 **-Bewitched Weekly, May 3rd**

 _Hey...it's me. We got in really late from the gala. I'm going to crash at Angèle's... Don't wait up for me..._

 _Rosie it's mum... Did Hugh ever get ahold of you? I know how forgetful that boy can be... Call me back, love... I haven't heard from you in a bit. Ed and Jane send big hugs._

 **LITIGIOUS AND SUPERSTITIOUS; WSR CRACKS DOWN ON TICKET SCALPERS FOR ANGÈLE 'GOLDEN TOUR' DUE TO INCREASING DEMAND**

 **-Philosophers Stone, May 5th**

 _Hey hun- it's Ginny. Congrats on the tour. Can you have Albus give me a ring? I know him and his father aren't exactly on speaking terms as of late, but he's got another thing coming if he thinks he can ignore his own mother. You're doing a great job, hun. Thanks for keeping my boy safe._

' **TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT': ROSE WEASLEY SEEN DRAGGING COUSIN, ALBUS POTTER FROM** _ **MAGIA FASCINO**_ **LAST NIGHT AFTER AN EVENING OF PARTYING - SCORPIUS MALFOY, NO WHERE TO BE SEEN**

 **-The Daily Prophet, May 10th**

 _Rose. It's Lily. I know you're ignoring my calls and I don't like it. Talk to me. Please._

 **AMANTES DES ESPANIA; SCORPIUS & ANGÈLE SEEN LEAVING THEIR AMALFI HOTEL TOGETHER, HEADED TO EVENINGS PERFORMANCE**

 **-Magia Magia, May 11th**

 _Can we jump on a call with Mina later? This is Tom, by the way. We have some thoughts on the duet you're writing for Angèle and Scorpius...Hope Spain is treating you well._

 _Rosie, it's Mum again. I don't like to pry. But I came across one of those -horrid- magazines and I saw an article. You don't look well, my dear. You're working so hard and you've done such a good job...but- I'm worried. Please call me back._

 **A DUET FOR OUR DUO? WILL OUR FAVORITE PAIR BE RELEASING MUSIC ANY TIME SOON? SOURCES SAY…YES!**

 **-Bewitched Weekly, May 11th**

 _Rose, it's Mart- I'm with Al. I think- hey shit. I'm worried we may need uh- Healer...I'm. Can you come quick?_

 _Hey- I heard about Al- I'm leaving the event early. Is he okay? Are you okay?_

 **FALLEN FROM GRACE? ALBUS POTTER FOUND UNCONSCIOUS IN NIGHTCLUB - SOURCES SAY ILLICIT SUBSTANCES INVOLVED - HARRY POTTER HAS YET TO COMMENT**

 **-The Daily Prophet, May 13th**

Rose stared at the paper; her face emotionless. Her eyes felt glassy and vacant; her lids heavy. She was tired in a way she had never experienced before. A sharp crash of waves from the coast below caught her attention. _Where was she? What day was it?_

She glanced at the top of the paper currently gripped in her hand: _May 13th…_

She sighed. The last few months had bled into one another so quickly and chaotically, she barely had time to register what was happening. She was busier now than ever; their lives a ceaseless parade of performances, interviews, outings, events…

In a way, she was grateful to have Mina by her side in all of it. The older witch was a seasoned vet in this industry. A catastrophe to Rose, was a minor blip on Mina's radar. She had come to Rose's aide multiple times in their tour alongside one another. She was unrelentingly calculated, and admirably cool under pressure.

In another way, Rose doubted Mina would remain "cool" if anyone dared challenge her professional trajectory. All was just as well. Rose felt she would rather face a Basilik than stand up to Mina in any capacity. She was, truthfully, too exhausted.

They all were.

Days began early, nights went late. She no longer felt the same spark of energy she had when she used to watch them perform. Instead she saw the sunken lifelessness of Marty's drumming, the frail, manic charisma of Albus on stage, the vacant eyes of Scorpius - every time she looked at him. She was constantly fielding phone calls, scheduling interviews, shuttling them from one location to the next; she couldn't remember the last time she had a conversation of substance with any of them.

With anyone, really. She had managed a brief phone call with her mother two days prior; the point of which was mainly to prove Rose was -in fact- still alive. She had not managed to return Lily's calls…

She was so exhausted, and yet- she couldn't sleep. Every night was a fitful menagerie of nightmares. Oftentimes, it was her dream of the burrow; that bittersweet tune playing farther and farther away every time she would try to escape. Other times, something resembling an angry swarm of purple feathers would chase her through the streets of Paris. She didn't really want to read into that one.

Her appetite was gone. A once ravenous hunger was replaced by a small feeling of lead in her stomach that rarely ever went away. She attributed it to the rapid change of pace in their schedules. She didn't have time to eat.

She didn't want to admit it- but that same leadened feeling often had the inclination to expand every time she had the misfortune of witnessing Angèle and Scorpius interact candidly with one another.

That was the _one_ thing that was obviously going very well- she guessed. The wizarding world was so charmed by the musical couple, it was almost overwhelming. They were the perfect performers; always quick to cast an adoring gaze in the direction of the other if a camera were near. He was always grabbing her hand, opening doors for her, singing of her praise whenever he was asked. She was always straightening his tie, kissing his cheek, reminding the world of how handsome he was. They were perfect.

Rose had known of his previous relationship before, but she had never been so abruptly privy to the likes of Scorpius Malfoy as a…boyfriend. She wondered what the two of them talked about on all those "dates"…

Did she know he wasn't a morning person? Did he tell her about his deathly fear of open water? Did she know about his Dad? Did they ever look at the moon together? Did she ever watch him breath while he slept?

It filled Rose with the most unfamiliar, twisted feeling.

A snore from across the room jolted her again. Albus was stretched on the couch adjacent to her; his wild, black hair protruding haphazardly from a thick, white bandage wrapped around his forehead.

Albus seemed to be the only one who wasn't suffering in terms of a lack of energy. The added fame and attention amplified his desire for excitement and indulgence. He was out every night; meeting with fans and allowing them to treat him with that intoxicating mix of obsession and adoration he craved.

It had managed to get him into some pretty sticky situations since the tour began. She was beginning to lose her patience with him…

-Like the cause of the aforementioned bandaged-head. She felt like she was losing him as much as she was losing herself. She felt like she barely knew her cousin these days. They used to be able to talk about _anything…_

She looked at the clock; her eyes dragging to where it was situated on the wall. 5:32am. She had not slept. After bringing Al back to the hotel, and the chaos of the evening had subdued, she felt her body was hot-wired in a way that made it impossible for her to drift to something even remotely resembling sleep.

Nothing felt right, these days. They were leaving for America tomorrow; something she had been almost exhaustingly anticipating. She should have been filled with excitement; filled with that bubbling hope of opportunity. Instead, she felt herself constantly fighting off the impulse to rip her own hair out.

She looked back down at the paper, realizing she had been clenching the parchment so tightly in her hands, it had begun to tear. She let go; her eyes drifting over the black and white images moving dizzyingly in front of her. Albus, motionless on the ground; swarms of party-goers crowding around him. Albus being hoisted away by security. Albus vomiting outside the establishment.

Rose felt the lead in her stomach harden; tossing the pages towards the other side of the table. She noticed the notebook she had taken out; it's contents a larger metaphor for her current emotional standing - empty.

On top of everything, she was meant to be writing song for the new album; the top priority being a duet for Angèle and Scorpius to sing. Tom had been on her about it almost every day.

A duet? For a couple in love? That was _primary school_ for Rose. She had written hundreds of schmaltzy ballads, crafted thousands of dripping lyrics about "stars in eyes" and "hearts that beat", but now…

Right now, she had no words inside. Nothing to come out. She didn't know _what_ was happening to her; only that she _needed_ to figure it out…soon.

She pushed the notepad away as well, settling to lean her head against the cool marble of where she was sat at. She sighed again, closing her eyes and breathing.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder and she almost yelped. She raised her head, registering the presence in front of her.

"Sorry, I thought you might have fallen asleep out here…", Scorpius's voice was edged with the slight rasp of sleep.

She shook her head, "What are you doing awake?"

He was silent; moving towards the sink to fill a glass of water. "Don't sleep much these days…"

She rested a heavy head back on the palm of her hand. She willed the creeping voice within her to cease picking apart the absence in his voice. They had become so disconnected lately…

She felt his movement behind her as he reached to grab the paper she had earlier discarded.

"The devil works hard…", he said softly, almost to himself.

She looked up, "Hmm?"

He cracked a grin- it didn't reach his eyes. "but the Prophet works harder…"

She closed her eyes, shaking her head, "I don't want to talk about it…"

She heard the creak of a chair bend opposite to her. When she opened her eyes, he was sat across; his silhouette a blue-grey in the haze of the morning.

He was silently scanning the cover of the paper. Rose found herself using the brief moment to scan his unencumbered features; taking in the light purple of his under-eye, the slight scrag of an unshaven face, a deep furrowing of his brow. She was surprised to feel a lightness in her chest; a stark contrast to the anxious hammering that had taken over as of late.

He looked up, barely catching her curious gaze. He cleared his throat, "These pictures… They make it seem worse-"

"-I really don't want to talk about it…", her voice was soft. He nodded, understanding.

They were silent again. Rose felt her gaze continually drawn back to exploring the nuances of his countenance. They'd been kept even more at a distance the past months- he felt relatively like a stranger to her. They hadn't been alone with one another, save for a few passing moments, since that tense, awkward apology at the flat. Looking at him, in the mystic stillness of the early hours, felt like she was seeing him almost for the first time.

His gaze was fixated on the paper in front of him, but his eyes were motionless. She could see the inner-workings of his mind attempting to make sense of something -something she did not venture to guess the cause of.

"You're alright though…", his motionless eyes still did not leave the paper; his words framed more as a hopeful question.

She let out a breath; her voice catching in her throat. She continued to look at him, unable to form the words she knew she was _supposed_ to say. _Yes, I'm fine. All is well. Never better._

He looked back up; somewhat startled by her determined gaze on him. A tick of the clock, another crash of a wave. Their eyes were steadily fixated on one another. It could have been a second, it could have been an hour. The warm lightness in her chest was beginning to spread. She knew she needed to look away. She found herself unable to…

"You need a haircut…", she half-whispered; finally breaking their wordless conversation. Her eyes went towards the blonde hairs, now reaching too far down the nape of his neck.

He didn't say anything, he didn't even nod. He was still looking at her; sizing her up.

Suddenly, the light feeling was becoming too much- it was reaching too far. She got up from her chair.

"Coffee?", she was no longer looking at him; instead rifling through the cupboards for the bag of beans she had purchased the day prior. She heard the creak of a chair; half believing he had gotten up to leave the room.

She felt his presence along-side hers. He began to fill the kettle with water; wordlessly helping her.

They prepared the coffee together in silence. Rose had a thousand questions swimming in her head; every one of them without beginning or end. That's what her life felt like; one large, unintelligible question she could not seem to articulate.

After awhile, he spoke. "A haircut?"

There was a slight smile on his lips, but it -still- did not reach his eyes.

She nodded. He was leant against the counter; the coffee slowly dripping into it's carafe beside them.

"You don't like the shag? It's very Mick Jagger, I think…", He was teasing.

She bit her lip, "We'll set-up an appointment for you somewhere, when we're in the states…"

His eyes were cast down, "So _you've_ officially retired from your career as a hairdresser?"

She smiled, "I like to think we've made it to a place professionally where me butchering your hair every two months of so, isn't exactly a necessity…"

He was quiet, "I always liked your work…very cutting edge."

She wrinkled her nose; her mind flitting suddenly to a time her hands had ran through his soft tufts of hair; a shearing spell haphazardly snipping the ends. She recalled a laughingly insincere apology for the mess she had made, Albus and Mart cackling in the background, the slight pink of Scorpius's cheek- the memory felt warm…and far away. Those times were so simple; they hadn't even realized.

His eyes were on her again; studying her. The feeling evoked was a strange one -almost unfamiliar.

The coffee was done.

"I think I'll see if someone on Angèle's team can cut it…", she busied herself with pouring. "I'm sure she's got someone on hand…"

"I'm sure."

She winced at the return of his vacant tone.

"How is our little _super star_ these days?" The question rushed out of her mouth; the words jumbling over one another in an inauthentic way. Rose didn't know what compelled her to ask. She was even embarrassed by the slight edge her voice cast over the words "super star"

He shrugged; not externally registering the strained air of questioning. "Tired… Like all of us. She sleeps a lot. And cries a lot…"

"Cries!?"

Scorpius smiled slightly, "She cries all the time. Over everything. She's very…leaky"

Rose furrowed her brow, "Leaky?"

"She's just very emotional..", he countered, taking a sip form his coffee, "She'll see a dog she finds…I don't know- and she'll be inconsolable for hours… If she's not crying, she's on stage or she's sleeping…"

"Charming…", Rose sighed, taking a sip of her coffee. She didn't _love_ the way his eyes sort of lit-up when recounting these details. If she didn't already regret her questioning, she definitely regretted it now.

Scorpius chuckled, "Very."

Another snore from Albus broke the silence between them. They both turned, watching to see if he would wake. He did not.

Scorpius noticed the notebook cast off to the edge of the table. He made a motion towards it with his mug, "I see the album's going well…"

Rose gave a lifeless little laugh, "I really, _really_ don't want to talk about it…"

Scorpius nodded; somewhat transfixed by the empty notebook.

"I'm not dripping with inspiration these days…", she sighed, "Usually I write when I'm back home…"

He nodded again.

"Maybe I should try looking at some dogs…", she joked, lamely. "Would put me in a bit more of an…emotional headspace."

"You're…not a crier, are you?", he asked slowly, after a moment.

Rose shook her head, "More of a…rage-er"

Scorpius laughed, "Isn't it a bit of a thing? That you don't cry?"

"My mum's been very concerned about it…", she sighed. "Not since…"

She didn't finish her sentence. She didn't need to.

"Do you reckon you even remember how?"

She narrowed her eyes, "Are _you_ a crier? I can't seem to recall even a bit of moisture protruding from those eyes…"

"Malfoy's don't cry. We suppress. Much more dignified.", He gave a slight smirk.

She smirked back, "Have you tried screaming? It's rather cathartic…"

He was silent, looking down at his almost empty mug.

"I cry, Weasley…", He rubbed at a coffee stain on the lip of his glass, still not looking up.

He opened his mouth, as if to speak, then shut it. He looked at her; an unreadable expression on his face, "It's very stoic. Only a single tear runs down my face -quite the ceremony."

He reached out and grabbed the empty mug from her hand. She laughed, but didn't quite feel it inside.

As if on cue, two distinct pops happened in the front room. Emil and Rainsford. _6am._ Right on time. Her wand began to buzz aggressively on the table; the leadened feeling forming in her stomach.

She turned back to the sink; the fleeting moment of conversation feeling like something precious slipping quickly from her fingers. He was gone.

—-

" _Why_ do we have to go to this?"

Rose's head swam. They were meant to have the evening prior to traveling to America off, to be able to pack and settle arrangements. However, due to Albus's little publicity stunt, they could waste no time in attempting to salvage his slightly crumbling reputation.

The morning had been a catastrophe of calls and meetings and reparations. Thankfully, their well-connected companion had been asked to make an appearance at the home of Franco Salavaro -an affluent and influential force in Spain's magical community.

Mina assured Tom there would be a multitude of press at the event, happy to capture a well-behaved and perfectly coherent pop-star.

If only she could make sure he stayed "well-behaved"…

"We _have to go to this_ , because you decided last night would be a great opportunity to get piss-drunk in a foreign country and fall unconscious to the floor.. In a _very_ public setting…"

Rose could practically taste the annoyance in her voice. Albus was silent. They were sat in a large ensuite- their stylist, Madeleine flying around him, taking measurements. Piles of fabric laid every where around.

"And..", she continued, "If you ever want the privilege of getting piss-drunk in public again, you will go to this event tonight, so the world can see what a good, little lad you are…"

Al huffed, "I said I was sorry… You _know_ I've got a handle on things, Rosie… Last night was a fluke-"

Before she could answer, a bright voice could be heard calling her name from the hall adjacent.

" _Rose! Qu'est-ce que tu penses?"_

She heard the rustling of fabric and the pounding of footsteps. Angèle spun in front of her; her person a fluffy menagerie of green, purple and silver.

The theme of the party was _Las Selva;_ The Jungle… It seemed Angèle was going as the entire rainforest.

" _Qu'est-ce que tu penses_ , Rose? What do you think?", she beamed, her tiny frame bouncing with excitement.

She looked stunning. She always did.

"Incredible", sighed Rose, with a grin _almost_ forced. "You're practically growing…"

Angèle looked at her with large, questioning eyes; her english not fully grasping Rose's joke.

"You are going as…?", she said after a moment, turning to Albus.

He huffed again, shaking his head "Oh…I don't know… A tree?"

"His suit will be evergreen-", interjected Madeleine, exasperatedly. "Tiny embroidered leaves, if you look closely…"

Albus rolled his eyes.

"We should have dressed him as a rock- covered in moss. That would be more aligned with his _attitude"_ , she teased, giving him a look through the mirror.

Angèle understood this time; her tinkling laughter bouncing off the walls. "You are…so funny, _Rose…"_

She bounced down on the couch next to her, "What will your… _costume_ be? Oui?"

Rose shook her head, "Oh, I have to pack us… for tomorrow's trip. So much to do… Je suis desole…I'm sorry."

True to Scorpius's earlier sentiments in regards to her flippant feelings, the large brown of her eyes began to shine with the glass of fresh tears.

"You will not go?", she cried, grabbing Rose's hands in her own.

Rose stared bemusedly at the girl sat next to her, " _Je suis desole…_ ", she said again, shaking her head.

" _Absolument pas!",_ she cried, getting up, "You must! You are always away. Never any fun. Come with, _s'il vous plait_!"

Rose opened her mouth, unsure of how to respond.

Scorpius appeared from the wings; half-dressed in his apparel for the evening. Rose found herself taking note of the way the deep, emerald suit brought out the loveliest shade of silver in his eyes…

"Don't you think dressing as a _snake_ is a little too on the nose?", sneered Albus; catching a glimpse of the subtle shimmer of scales when Scorpius's costume would hit the light.

Scorpius turned to the mirror on the opposite wall; not bothering to look at his dark-haired friend. "Did Al not have his nap today? He seems rather tyrant-like…"

Angèle piped up again, " _Scorpius, mon amie…"_

Scorpius turned towards the couch where the two girls sat, a brow raised in question.

" _Elle dit qu'elle ne va pas aller…_ ", she grabbed Rose's hand again, squeezing it tightly. "Make her go! Please, _please!"_

The pair locked eyes for a moment. Rose could see a slight calibration happen. He turned back to the mirror; swinging a tie around his neck.

"Weasley, you're not coming?", His tone was indifferent.

She cleared her throat, her voice cracking. "Oh- no… There's a lot to be done before we leave… I wasn't planning on it."

Angèle's bottom lip began to quiver, "S _'il vous plait?_ Scorpius, make her go. You have to make her…"

"Don't bother…", sighed Albus, "Rosie doesn't have any fun these days. She hasn't been out with us in weeks."

Rose glared at her cousin, " _My apologies_ for being busy making your careers thrive…"

He was right, however. She usually loved parties; loved the energy, loved meeting new people, loved _dancing_ …Loved it all. She didn't feel like fun these days. In fact, the thought of playing chaperone -if only for show- to the two lovebirds she was half charged with made _going out_ practically unpalatable.

Albus turned to her, wincing slightly as a rogue pin lost it's path in his movement, "That came out wrong… _Ouch_ \- You _should_ have fun. You should go."

"Al-", She started. She didn't know how to get out of it. Every excuse rattling through her brain would easily be met with an obvious solution. She didn't know how to explain to Albus, or any of them, that her rapid altering in personality had less to do with the enormity of her work-load and more to do with a deep-running fear that being surrounded by joyous celebration would make her haunting, twisted feelings unable to avoid.

"Al, I…", she stuttered, casting her eyes towards the ceiling above, the lamest of excuses falling from her lips. "I have nothing to wear…"

She could practically hear Madeleine's jaw drop.

Rose locked eyes with the bustling stylist, hoping to possibly convey her aversion to the event with the intensity of her gaze. "Maddy, you're busy! You're still finishing Albus's suit- and Marty… And- and…"

Madeleine did not pick up on the hint. In fact, she almost seemed offended. "Darling, I've made _ballgowns_ in less time than you've got before this event…You think a little costumed _gala_ is too much for me to handle?"

Rose sighed, "No- it's just, we've had no time to prepare anything. I wouldn't even know what to go as-"

" _Papillon!",_ cried the girl to her right; her eyes finally drying themselves of the tears that had so easily sprung earlier. " _Une…_ Butterfly!"

Al chimed in, "Oh- What about some sort of tropical bird, like a toucan…"

"A _toucan..?"_ , Rose asked dubiously; her mind flashing momentarily to a large, orange beak strapped to her face.

"Ooh- _Le_ jaguar…", said Angèle, reaching for a bolt of fabric on the other side of the room, "Black velvet…"

Rose flushed, "Not exactly the _jaguar_ type, I think…"

"Spider-monkey!", cried Albus.

"Parrot!"

"Elephant!"

" _Une tigress…"_

"Mart's already going as a Tiger…", sighed Rose, unable to help a grin at their antics.

"What about the moon..?" A voice called from the other side of the room.

Rose turned her gaze towards the emerald-clad boy, whose words had been spoken as if said without thinking. His unreadable expression was fixed on the mirror in front of him; fidgeting with the tie around his neck.

"The _moon_?", questioned Albus, his nose scrunching up in perplexity.

Scorpius cleared his throat, "The moon…Like, in the dark of the jungle; reflected against the- Well, shining on a river…Or something like that."

The room was silent.

"I think it's- It could be interesting…", his voice clipped. "The colors could look nice on Weasley."

"Oh…how _beautiful…"_ , sighed Angèle; the sentimental tremor of her voice returning. Rose, for the first time, felt her emotions begin to align scarily close to those of her melodramatic acquaintance.

Albus was not impressed.

"I still think you should be a spider-monkey…"

Madeleine began furiously sorting through fabrics, "No… I like that. I like that… We could put you in some deep blues…lots of movement…pleats…"

Her voice trailed off as she began to piece the gown together in her mind. Rose found herself unable to keep from looking over to Scorpius. What he had said was not anything other than _passing_ _inspiration,_ but Rose felt like she had just been submerged under water.

Madeleine turned to Albus; bolts of fabric in her arms. "You. Move. I'm done with your suit anyways". She turned to Rose, "You, come here. Lets see if she can make some magic happen…"

As Madeleine threw silky sheets of indigo and silvery tulle round Rose's body; Angèle enthusiastically chattering with excitement; Albus begrudgingly sat at the couch watching them. Rose found herself begin to feel something she had not felt in a long time.

it was a slight fluttering of the heart; the anticipation of the unknown. It was the first burst of air, first note of a song. It was the bubbling hope…of excitement.

—-

"You look _bloody_ lovely, Rose!", cried Mart as they climbed into the car meant to drive them to the party.

She flushed. She _did_ look bloody lovely, and she knew it. The dress Madeleine had made for her fell in shining waves. Every time she moved, it looked like her person was awash in a softly rippling body of water.

"Thanks Mart…", she laughed. She couldn't remember the last time she had _really_ laughed. "You don't look so bad yourself… In fact… One could say you look _Purr-_ fect."

She was referring to the orange and black striped robes he was currently sporting. Only someone like Marty could pull of a costume that egregious and manage to look sleek.

Albus groaned, but he was laughing too "Oh, I _so_ regret begging you to come with us. That was awful…"

Angèle was beaming; the whole of her purple-y, leafy dress barely fitting in the long stretch of the car. " _Perfect?_ What is so bad about 'perfect'?"

Scorpius leaned over, " _Le son du chat en Anglais et "pur"…_ "

"Oh!", she cried; smiling even more, " _Pur_ -fect…Rose, you are so funny."

Even the high of the gown couldn't keep Rose's stomach from dropping when she saw Angèle's small hand rest on the thigh of her amorous translator.

"Is everyone in?", a shrill voice called from outside of the car. Mina dipped her head in to the vehicle; her long, thin frame encased completely in black velvet. Panther. "I'm going to grab Rainsford and Emil and we'll be off…"

The door shut with a clamp. Suddenly, Angèle began to rifle through a bag buried deep within the recesses of her dress.

When she finally found the object of her desire; there was a small, bejeweled case -no larger than a seashell- resting in her lace-gloved hand.

"Is she gone?", She asked, looking through the window. Her voice held an excitable deviance Rose had yet to experience before.

She popped open the little case. Inside held a small pile of little, candied crystals, resting atop the soft pad of pink velvet. The little candies practically glittered in the soft light of the early evening.

"Let's take. Before she comes back.", The excitable deviance grew; her eyes shining with mirth. Albus reached forward immediately; grabbing one of the pieces and examining it in his palm.

Rose felt a momentary panic. "Woah- what _is_ that?"

Angèle giggled, "Oh, it is not bad…I swear. Just relaxes, is all."

Rose's brow furrowed, "Um-"

"-Rose. Trust me. _Regarde moi_ -", Angèle gazed at her; her dark eyes were charmed a brilliant lavender -to match the purple of her dress. Rose felt herself slightly hypnotized by them. "Tonight will be fun. Have fun. You look… _Tu es si belle!"_

She looked over just as Albus popped the little candy into his mouth, "Hmm…raspberry…"

The panic reached it's plateau as she saw Marty and Scorpius grab a candy each, as well. She checked herself; taking in exactly where she was. She was with her closest friends… on the way to a party…she looked divine… _Why was she getting so hung up over nothing?_

A loud parade of scrapes could be hear from the gravel outside; signaling the mounting arrival of their party companions.

"Hurry!", cried Angèle. She placed a candy in Rose's hand and shoved the little case back into her bag.

Rose scanned the car one last time. Albus had an urging smile. Marty had a vacant, shining expression. Angèle held pursed lips; her eyes crinkling with the joy of a shared secret.

She didn't want to admit it; but the thing that made her give-in, the thing that finally made her place the sugared crystal on her tongue and begin to start allowing herself to have fun, was when her eyes fell on Scorpius.

For the first time since their explosive argument on that fateful rooftop, she saw something other than expansive vacancy behind the silvery-blue of his eyes. She saw an underestimation; a challenge. It was as if he didn't really believe she'd actually do it.

" _A votre santé._ ", She toasted; looking him dead in the eye.

—-

At first, she felt nothing. She believed, for half a moment, that things really had gotten lost in translation and she had merely consumed an innocuous piece of rock candy.

As the car slowly wound through the hills of the Spanish country-side; the sky began to darken. The deep, velvety skies washed over the car in a gentle silence; causing the parties inside to come to a comfortable peacefulness -even Mina submitted to the noiselessness.

Rose found her heart-beat begin to slow, the tips of her fingers feeling weightless and somewhat fuzzy. She felt she could almost drift to sleep, her body felt so entirely outside of itself; being gently rocked by the motion of the moving car.

Suddenly, she felt the lace-clad palm of Angèle, grip her own hand fiercely.

"It's starting…", she whispered in her ear; widening her large, lavender eyes with glee. "E _tes prêt…_ Get ready."

Rose figured maybe it was working quicker on her; the soft feeling of calm she was currently enveloped in being something she was completely content with.

She turned to check on Albus, who had been uncharacteristically quiet the majority of the car ride, when the buzzing feeling in her fingers began to spread.

She felt it first traveling up her arms; delighted in the feeling of waves of soft, blue fabric encasing them. She felt the corners of her mouth move upwards, inexplicably; the lids of her eyes crinkling in a laugh bubbling beneath the surface.

Whatever she had given them, was _not_ just for relaxing.

She locked eyes with Albus; the dark green of his eyes dancing in the low light. He gave her a small smile and a slow nod.

"I can hear music…", he said softly, closing his eyes. His fingers were tapping lightly against his knee; a composition all his own stemming from them.

"What was that?", Mina called from the back.

Albus blinked, "Music. Let's put on some music…"

Rose turned to Marty. He was gazing out the window; staring at the stars as if each one of them was the most incandescently beautiful thing he'd ever seen. She realized Angèle's hand was still tightly grasped in her own.

"We've almost arrived-", Mina called again, "Just passed the front gate. Is everyone ready?"

"You boys ready?", Rose heard her own voice call softly. _Had her voice always been that gentle?_ She rather liked the sound of it…

"Ready as _pie_ , Rosie-Posie…", giggled Albus, his cheeks turning pink.

Rose turned back to the front; moving to confer with Scorpius.

The world halted.

Her movements became a jellied slow-motion; every sense heightened, all at once. Every inhalation of breathe felt like a grand expanding inside of her; the space around her peripherals giving way to a softly pulsing light.

She could a hear a voice calling out; calling for her. But Rose was slowly sinking to the bottom of a slowly churning ocean. Was the voice above the waves? Was it next to her?

She was _staring_ at him; taking in every detail of his person as if they were the answer to all life's questions. She felt she should look away. She _wanted_ to look away.

She couldn't.

His gaze was planted firmly on the floor of the car. He seemed to be in a somewhat fixated trance. The voice from above the waves called again.

"Rose…You are hurting my hand…", a familiar, girlish sound whispered into her ear.

Rose was thankful for the momentary distraction; finally able to rip her stare from the boy in front of her. She felt the motion physically; as if someone had just yanked a lock of hair from her head.

"Sorry…", she whispered, extracting their clenched fingers.

Angèle giggled again, "Are you feeling..?"

Rose sighed, her eyes again pulling magnetically towards the boy sitting across from her. He, unfortunately, chose that exact moment to look back; locking eyes with her for the first time since the car ride began.

She could not speak. His wide eyes were transformed to the most intoxicating thing she had ever seen in her life. All she could hear was blood pounding in her ears. All could see were shimmering flecks of grey in the large expanse of his iris's. Her mouth felt dry.

The moment his gaze fell on her, she felt her entire body go into full sensory overdrive; the soft buzzing replaced by an electric current racing through every molecule in her system. She could feel the rising and falling of his chest; see the blood pumping through the veins of his neck. She could _smell_ him.

What in the absolute _hell_ had she just consumed?

"I guess so…", she heard herself whisper back. The pulsing orbs surrounding her began to grow, encasing her in an exquisite orchard of dancing light. For a brief moment, the orbs clouded everything but his intensely searching gaze; one that had yet to leave hers. He looked absolutely terrified.

The car halted suddenly. Rose began to register the clouding lights as camera's flashing outside. The roar of press outside came rushing in; the car now overpowered with noise and movement.

"Angèle, you leave with Scorpius- Rainsford is outside waiting to open the door for you", she heard Mina command from the back of the car.

Scorpius's eyes were still transfixed on her; hers on his. His expression was one she had yet to ever encounter; a strange mixture of freight and confusion. She was doing everything in her power to move even her eyes. They were both frozen in place.

"Scorpius!", cried Mina; her voice laced with a strained sort of exasperation, "Are you awake?"

He blinked slowly; swallowing deeply.

"Sorry…", she heard him say; finally tearing his eyes from hers. He moved towards the opening door; his gaze now on Angèle.

The euphoric sort of calm left as soon as his gaze did. She could feel herself be pulled as he made his way out of the car first; clasping hands with his lavender-eyed companion. Instead, it was replaced with a heavy pounding in her chest. She could feel the buzzing of her fingertips turn suddenly to razor-sharp pin-pricks. The car felt too hot. Her clothes felt weighted.

The world was suddenly in a place of darkened wrong. All she could do was breath, staring at the spot in the car where Scorpius was sat.

She felt Albus's hand grab hers.

"You're really feeling it, aren't you?", he asked in a low voice; a hint of a smile behind his green eyes. As the two of them exited the car together; Rose found herself encased in the slow, pulsing light of the photographers.

The darkness persisted. The lights she had found so pretty, became electric explosions; too bright in the dull of the evening. The voices were too loud. Albus's grip on her elbow became too tight. She felt herself pulled- drawn towards some invisible destination.

She felt something inside her yelling ' _Just a little bit further! Keep looking!'_

She found herself trying to see through the flashing lights; looking for something she could not name. Her panic was mounting; an anxiety ripping through her like she had never experienced. She felt she was about to burst. Was she going to make it inside? Was she going to have a meltdown right here? Right in front of everyone? What had she _done?_

Then, all at once, her searching ended. Her heart slowed; her lips parted. The world transformed instantly; giving way to that soft buzzing feeling she had earlier been privy to. She could feel the pulsing warmth; smell a heady cedar scent.

The haze of the flashing bulbs parted and she could see exactly what was was being guided towards. The realization caused her to stop dead in her tracks; her stomach dropping instantly. All she could see were a pair of haunting silver eyes, staring straight back at her; even more freighted than before.

 _What had they gotten themselves into?_

— _-_

Honestly, every time I think about the two of them looking at each other; with so many years of unspoken tension brewing between them, I get a little swoon-y. I just love these two so much. They're _so suppressed._

I would _love_ to know what you guys think about this. Reviews truly make my whole day (and like I said earlier, some lovely reviews from you guys made me fall in love with this story again. It helps so much!)

The next chapter is going to be so. absolutely. pivotal. I can't wait to be able to share with you guys.

As always, here's a playlist of music that's gotten me through this angsty chapter.

 **Je Te Laisserai Des Mots** \- Patrick Wilson (listen to as you read through the collage of missed calls and newspaper headlines at the beginning, it perfectly captures Rose's growing feelings of emptiness)

 **Velvet Ring** \- Big Thief

 **These Days** \- Nico

 **It's Time To Wake Up Berlin 2023** \- La Femme (If you want to press play as soon as Rose puts that piece of candy in her mouth and just let the music speak for itself, it's _exactly_ how I imagined this scene being soundtracked. It's so magical and trippy. It's amazing)

The next chapter has such a massive playlist, I can't wait to share.

see you soon!

xoxoxo


	9. My Friend

All I'm going to say is… I love this chapter. And I hope you do too. Ah!

—

 _Everything was so bright…_

Not just the flashing lights; splashing brilliant explosions of white over the carpeted entrance, but everything…

Everything had a gilded quality…the shine of Albus's hair, the swishing of Angèle's dress. Even Mart's unassuming smile held a luminous quality. The small rhinestones, placed in swirling patterns up the length of her arm, seemed to sway to a music all their own.

 _And those eyes…_

Had they always been so radiant? They cast glittering fractals of light over everything surrounding.

She could feel her heart bumping beneath the fabric of her dress. Not hammering in the anxious sense it had taken over as of late, but steadily beating; marching to a soft rhythm that felt foreign, yet strangely familiar.

How long had they been standing there? With eyes burning into one another… What was he thinking? What was _she_ thinking?

She felt herself being moved along; pushed forward to the ultimate destination. They made it past the press, who were crying their names with wild abandon. The shouting became more and more muffled as they entered the doors of the large estate.

Suddenly, the party was escorted into a dark entranceway; the doors to the outside world slid shut. In the momentary carpet of silence, Rose found herself aware of the soft buzzing still pulsing though her fingertips.

A soft rustling of leaves could be heard from above. Sinewy vines began to crawl in front of them; twisting in delicate patterns. Soon, the entire room they were stood in was covered in a growing, intertwining foliage. Angèle reached out; softly tracing the leafy ornamentation. At her light touch, the expansive plant system began to glow.

A bumping rhythm could be heard; the glow emanating from the vines moving along expertly with the drums. The sound grew louder and louder. The glow from the vines shone brighter and brighter. The party instinctively moved further from the luminescent walls; pressing themselves closer to one another.

Rose felt something skim the small of her back, then retract it quickly, as if burnt by the touch.

"I think I might be losing my mind…", she heard Albus whisper to her.

She widened her eyes, "If you're losing it, so am I…"

The glow reached a frenetic pace. A silky melody could be heard coming in over the pounding of the bass. The sound crowded around them; emanating, it seemed, from just outside the room they were in.

There was a drop. The vines gave way, crawling back to their unknown home, and the six of them were suddenly in the middle of a swarming throng of party-goers. Lights danced around them; bumping with that same frenetic energy. The sinewy vines hung from the sky above; moving and dancing to the beat of the music. Everything was bathed in glittering hues of emerald and navy. Parades of fur and feather-clad dancers pushed past them.

Rose found herself unable to move; taking in the large expanse of the dance-hall. The entirety of the interior had been transformed to resemble an overgrown wilderness. Large, leafy fronds grew up from the ground; wrapping themselves around stone pillars. Tropical flowers grew in explosive bunches of color. Even the ground they stood on was awash in a mossy material Rose had to fight the urge to run her fingers through.

This estate - nay _castle-_ was filled with magic. She could taste it in the air. She could feel it running along the base of her skull. She couldn't take in the sounds and colors and smells and sensations quick enough.

She felt a tug at her elbow. It was Albus.

"Rosie! Earth to Rosie!", he shouted over the music, "I've been calling your name for a minute now…"

Her eyes snapped to him, "Sorry. This is…just _wild_."

He laughed, gesturing to their party-companions who had begun to make their way to the crowd of swaying people. "Come on, time to dance!"

He pulled her into the crowd; the grip of the music overwhelmed her in a delightful way. She was slowly becoming familiar with the floating, buzzing, glowing feeling from the crystal candy. She felt her body move on its own accord; tied to the rhythm of the atmosphere. As her movements became freer and less restrained, she found herself drifting from Albus. She was being moved to an unknown destination. That same small voice that coaxed her on the carpet outside the party came back. _Just a little further_ , it said. _Keep looking_ , it said.

She kept moving; being guided by the instinct inside of her…

She felt his presence before she saw him. Her stomach bottomed out, yet again, when she came to the realization. She willed herself to move away; to go back to dancing with Albus, to leave the dance floor all together. But, she couldn't. She was being pushed by a presence unknown.

Whatever magic was in that tiny, pink crystal was refusing to keep her away from him. And, if, she was being perfectly honest, she didn't entirely mind it.

Their eyes found one another through the crowd; their persons being separated by a mere trio of brightly-colored, frolicking birds. He gave a sigh; his eyes still holding that same treacherous fear. He looked awful. And _beautiful_.

It was almost as if they were floating; pushed together by the pulsing of the crowd, and helplessly drawn together like magnets. She felt her heart-rate rise with that steady, errant beating; felt the flush of her cheeks burn all the way down to her toes. She felt frightened and exhilarated all at once.

He spoke first. The first words she had heard him speak since the evening began.

"You okay?", Their bodies were mere millimeters apart. Not touching. Not daring to.

"Never better…", she found herself saying back. Their voices sounded like liquid gold; drowning the noise of the party. As they stood in each other's presences, Rose felt the world around them fill with that same sun-bathed molten; submerging the two in a space that was only for them. No one else around.

 _Was he feeling what she was feeling? Did he feel as scared as she did? Was this a dream?_

"I-", He started. His arm reached out; moving with quick unrestraint. He stopped himself; clenching his fist and moving it back down beside him. Rose felt the motion deep within her. She wanted to reach up; trace the tiny emerald scales that had been placed along the edges of his cheek bones.

She felt her own fists clench as well.

"I-", He started again, "I don't…"

She shook her head. She did not know why.

"I'm…I feel like I'm-", he continued.

Suddenly, a black claw appeared from the recesses of her peripherals. Clamping it's hand possessively around the forearm of her companion and yanking him backwards.

"Everything alright over here?", the voice was a screeching comparison to the golden lake she and Scorpius had submitted themselves to.

Scorpius widened his eyes; blinking hard and snapping out of whatever state he was in with her momentarily.

"Never better!", the two shouted in unplanned unison. It made her stomach bottom-out, yet again.

"You both look as if you've seen a ghost..", Mina laughed, in a way that felt somewhat forced, "I need to take Scorpius for a moment. Angèle is making the rounds, and I'd love for them to be seem together…"

"Oh, of course! Please…go…", Rose managed to choke out.

She wasn't prepared for the visceral reaction her body would have as he left; Mina's claws still gripping him tightly.

As she watched him leave, she felt a sharp pain suddenly in the palm of her hand. She looked down; noticing the small slices of skin her nails had broken; she was clenching her fists so tightly.

With his absence; the world came in again suddenly. All the sounds, all the people. Yet, this time, she didn't feel the easy, warm buzzing. She felt as if her insides were slowly closing in on themselves, and all she was left with was a heavy, riotous heart-beat.

She felt the palms of her hands begin to sweat, and the bejeweled crown of her head begin to pound. She felt like she was going to be sick.

Her feet began to move backwards; pulling her away from the mossy, menagerie of movement. She needed to be away from the joyous dancing; the shouts of merriment. She could see from across the hall, Scorpius's tall figure moving through the party; tulle-d companion in tow. To see him smile down at her, to see her hands clasped so tightly in his sent shock-waves through her.

She had seen them together in this capacity; many times in the months since their arrangement was contacted. But it had never felt like this. Never felt like a knife plunging straight through her stomach. Never felt like a thousand nails scratching across a thousand chalkboards. Never hurt so delicately and so succinctly.

 _This can't be real. This has to be a dream. Wake up, Rose._

"What the actual _fuck_ are you doing here?", cried a hauntingly familiar voice. Rose felt her eyes snap shut. _Yes, this needs to be a dream._

She turned, registering the domineering presence of someone she had been deliberately avoiding.

"Lily…", she sighed; almost in defeat.

Lily's eyes were like fire. In fact, Lily's _everything_ was like fire. She was dressed head-to-toe in bright red fabric.

"How _dare_ you not call me back!", she snapped; stomping her foot and glaring at Rose. Rose found herself taking in Lily's person rather unaffectedly. She was often swayed by Lily's tantrums; indulging in her madness in an attempt to calm her. But now, Rose felt unmoved. The world seemed grey and muted.

Rose squinted, everything seemed hazy. "What exactly is your costume..?"

Lily's eyes bulged out of her head, "Are you _on_ something? What is the matter with you?"

Rose felt her head instinctively pull back to it's steady gaze on Scorpius, mingling across the room. She couldn't help it.

Lily's hand grabbed her arm, suddenly. It was vice-like.

"Okay, look at me.", Her voice had taken on a different tone. "What the fuck is going on with you…"

Rose managed to turn her head back towards her cousin, the motion made her vision wobble. Concern was painted across Lily's countenance. If Rose had been in her right mind, she would have felt how intense Lily's feelings were. Rose had never seen her look even _remotely_ inconvenienced before; much less concerned.

"…Not just now…", Lily's voice was soft. "But lately. You don't look like yourself… Merlin, you're _so_ thin…"

Rose shook her head, "Angèle gave us something in the car… I'm a little out of it…"

"Rose, _what_ did you take?"

Rose shook her head again; everything was dancing around her. "Where's Al..? He took some too…"

Lily groaned, "This is ridiculous. Rose, _why_ are you ignoring me? What's even happening?"

Rose felt her head move again, drawn back to the presence of the boy across the room. She willed everything in her to not look again, to keep her eyes from masochistically yielding in the manufactured couple clutched together, looking like the perfect pair. She couldn't.

Lily followed her gaze, her eyes taking in what Rose was incapable of looking away from.

"Oh Rose…", she said, softly. Rose felt sick at Lily's insinuation.

She turned back to Lily, "No- No…That's not- It's-"

Lily's eyes were filled with pity. Rose _hated_ her.

"I have to go. I've got a job to do…", she began to back away from Lily, "I need to find Al."

Rose felt the rising panic begin in her chest again. What did Lily _even_ know? Lily was a spoiled brat who only cared for herself. Rose was _drugged_. God only knows what that was doing to her judgement. Her mind was playing tricks on her, her emotions were being manipulated. She didn't care about Scorpius. She didn't care about Angèle. She didn't care about anyone or anything. All of this, all these feelings, were figments of her imagination. Nothing more, nothing less.

She just wanted to lose herself.

She took one last look at Lily, and threw herself back into the madness of the party. She began to dance with a frenzied energy. She felt her motions become fluid; allowing her body to sway and pulse with the rhythm of the crowd. She allowed her eyes to close; the flashing lights of the party bouncing off her lids

She felt good, _right?_ This was fun, _wasn't it?_

She felt strangers moving their bodies against hers. She allowed the energy of the party to lift her veil of morality. She just wanted to feel good. She just wanted to have fun.

Only, she wasn't. She felt her insides begin to churn; her own rebellion against the magical desires was causing contention within her. She couldn't stop scanning the crowd; couldn't stop searching for his tall frame among the mass of bodies. She hated herself.

She began to feel sick. Her insides felt as if they were being ripped apart. She scanned the room; trying to at least find Albus -or even Marty.

She recoiled; stifling a scream. Instead of a sea of costumed guests; she found herself looking into blurry, smearing faces. She could recognize no one; their countenances barely registering any features.

She looked past the dancing mob, towards the crowds of personal milling about on the fringe. Their faces were smeared as well. Bumping fear began to rise in her. The twisting in her stomach intensified. _Where was she? Who was she?_

She felt as if everywhere she turned was something more terrifying and lonely. She just wanted to feel good. Why couldn't she just feel good?

As she fearfully and anxiously ran her eyes through the crowd, continuing to search for anyone who looked real, her eyes fell on familiarity.

She couldn't stand it. Of course, in a sea of ugly, contorted, blurry faces, the _one_ visage who shone through was that of Scorpius Malfoy.

Then her vision closed completely into darkness.

When she came to, she was kneeling ungraciously over a toilet; fully emptying the contents of her stomach. The motion was unstoppable. She heaved and wretched till there was nothing left in her.

She felt her head fall; resting atop the edge of the porcelain, as her insides settled.

She couldn't recall how she had made her way to the restroom itself. How she managed to even find it, in the midst of the dizzying wanderings of her mind, was a mystery.

The bathroom was abuzz with girls floating in and out; washing hands, comparing costumes. She dreaded leaving the stall she was sequestered into. The only thing worse than losing your dinner at a party was having to face the critical gaze of fellow restroom attendants.

She sighed, moving upwards. She winced at the stiffness of her limbs. _How long had she been couched there?_ Even the time since theyentered the party seemed to blur. Had they been there for minutes? It felt like hours…She moved her wrists; snapping out the kinks. She was surprised to gave regained a certain amount of clarity in the evacuating of her stomach.

She could feel the ground beneath her feet. Her eyes were no longer harshly beleaguered by brilliant, flashing lights. The music was a far away echo; no longer the booming cadence ripping through her body. Her breathing was slow. Her hands were her own.

She was no longer pulled; constantly drifting towards that treacherous, unknown destination. The small voice within her had been silenced. She was herself again.

As she left the bathroom; she began to feel the fatigue of the evening. She felt hazy; almost sleepy. She had managed to find a bathroom down one of the many curving corridors; far enough away from the madness of the main hall. Her fingers traced the ragged stone of the hallway. It actually reminded her a little bit of being at school. The cool roughness of the wall brought back memories in a flood. She retracted her hand quickly.

She entertained the thought of going back to the party… finding Albus… Apologizing to Lily… The thought made her head spin. She, instead, found her feet taking her further down the corridor; away from the madness of the dance floor. She began to walk; turning around hallways, not completely sure what she was looking for…

As she moved further through the castle; she found herself running into less fringe party guests. She moved through a maze-like stretch of walkways; taking in countless paintings and portraits. An severe granny; holding the butchered head of a grindylow, A small child; wearing the skin of a Chimera as robe. A portly man, sitting on a throne of bow truckles. There seemed to be a theme…Rose got an uneasy sense from it.

She walked past a doorway reaching into a large, glass atrium. She realized she hadn't seen a single person in ages. She could barely hear the sound of the music. Her blood was no longer rushing to her ears. Her head was no longer hammering in her chest. She was just…tired.

She kept walking.

The atrium was heavily overgrown with greenery. As she walked down her unmarked path; her lungs were filled with the weighty luminance of growing things. She found her gaze moving towards a soft, blue glow shining from the hall across the stretch of the glass structure.

She could hear a familiar whooshing sound; like mottled waves crashing from above. The blue glow became brighter as she turned a corner; the whole of her vision taking in a large corridor, plated fully in glass. The feeling was one of being submerged. The glass of the corridor curved at the apex of the ceiling; creating a tunnel. Outside the casing; all one could see was blue, murky waters; illuminated by artificial light from below.

The large aquarium was empty. Or, at least, the water was so opaque she could not see a single living thing through the thick glass. The sound of the rushing, tenebrous waters caused her to fall even deeper into the hazy fatigue she was currently experiencing. She placed a hand out on the glass; steadying herself.

There was another sudden rush against the pane, and Rose found herself palm to palm with a scaly, webbed extremity.

Rose screamed; pushing herself away quickly. Through the cloud of the water, she could see the shadow of a creature. It's hair; wild and buoyant. It's body; taught and sinewy. It's large tail propelled it past what Rose could see within the scope of the aquarium.

"You know…", a softly ragged voice said, just behind her. "Mermaids mate for life."

She found herself wholly unsurprised to turn and see him standing there. It was almost as if she had been waiting for him. Perhaps, just in the moment. Perhaps, forever. Her mind felt depleted of it's laborious ability of overanalyze. She did not feel the anxious tremor of unanswered questions, or the slight twisting of unspoken expectation.

She found herself simply happy to see him.

He moved closer to the water; brushing past her.

"I've always been fascinated by that…", he reached out as well; pressing his palm to the glass.

The rushing shadow of the creature came into view again; pressing it's frog-like palm flush against Scorpius's.

He did not flinch. The body of the mer-person slowly came into view; it's hesitant movements unlike any Rose had experience with the particular type of magical beast. Rose began to make out the shape of a woman.

She did not resemble the mer-folk Rose had been versed in; back in days of school past. Her waxen skin looked stretched and bruised over bones that jutted out from her frame. Her hair was like limp seaweed; floating lifelessly around her skull.

Her eyes, however, were the most unfamiliar. They had lost all primal spark. They were large, black, hollowed eyes; endlessly searching. Rose found herself recoiling at the sight; her heart aching for the damaged creature.

The hollowed eyes fell on Scorpius, then on Rose. There was a small, defeated shake of a head, and the mermaid floated back into the cloudy expanse of the water.

"The owner of this castle is a collector, of sorts…", Scorpius had not moved his hand from the glass. The interaction, it seemed, had taken something from him; depleted him of some energy. "Have you noticed?"

Rose thought back to the portraits she had seen scattered along the hallway; each of them containing a certain air of vulgarity. She nodded.

He turned back to her; their eyes falling on one another for, what seemed like, the thousandth time that evening. There was no longer that heightened rush of intensity; no longer the brain-logging pull just to be near him, just to touch him.

Instead, there was just warmth. A soft, haunting warmth that flushed through her, from the very top of her head, all the way down to her heel-clad toes. She found this feeling inexplicably more terrifying than anything she had felt the evening prior.

She nodded, "A fascination with magical creatures…of sorts."

Scorpius turned back to the place the mer-lady ad appeared earlier. "She's looking for her mate… They were brought here together; quite against their will…"

Rose's brow furrowed, "Isn't that illegal?"

"Money can buy a lot of things…" His voice was heavy.

He moved; turning towards the opposite wall. "This tank is expansive. It stretches the whole of the estate… But there's a barrier -a magical one- dividing…"

Rose had never heard his voice so laced with grief.

"So they're separated. Purposefully put on opposite sides…Simply to exist as an exhibit…A show for house guests."

Rose felt a hard lump form in her stomach at the thought. Her mind recalled the hollow-eyes and mottled skin of the mer-woman they had just witnessed. It made her feel sick all over again. She wondered when he had managed garner this information.

"This archway is the only space the two of them can even see one another…", he continued; the heaviness in his voice becoming more apparent. "It's a rare sighting -I've been told… Anyone who bares witness can attest to a 'deeply moving experience'… I think it's inhumane."

Her mouth twisted in sympathy.

"They don't have a choice, you know…", He sighed, "Merpeople, I mean. In who they love. It- It's not even _love_ , in the sense we can understand. It's primal… It's the core of who they are. And- I just think- Being so close… Being able to _see_ one another…only to be separated."

He shook his head, "It sounds like…torture to me.."

Rose felt the inexplicable rising and falling of her chest. She was twisted in a way she couldn't describe.

"How do you know all this?", Rose was surprised at the emotion carried in her tone. Something in the way he was speaking was tugging at her.

Scorpius laughed emptily, "I was introduced to our host… This castle is a labyrinth of archaic treasures. He rattled through an endless number of 'trophies' he has hidden behind these walls…"

He gestured to the glass around him; looking ruefully exhausted, "This was the one thing I was able to remember through…the influence"

Rose shook her head; recalling that only earlier that evening, she was so blitzed on whatever potion was contained in that terrifying little candy, she couldn't keep her eyes off him.

"Merlin…what _was_ that?", she asked; an embarrassed grin twisting onto her face before she could hide it. She was trying not to pay attention to the rising flush that had begun to creep up her neck.

He shook his head as well; mirroring her bashful nature. "That was…one of the most… overwhelming experiences I've had in my life…"

"You looked _terrified…"_ she said; noticing a slight twitch in his features. His stoic nature gave way to a glimpse of an unfamiliar emotion. Was it _nervousness_? Rose couldn't tell.

He sighed, "Did I?"

She nodded, feeling like she should say something. "I felt like I couldn't control anything about myself…"

His brow furrowed; looking at her with a suddenly perplexity.

"Like…", she continued; turning her gaze away from his confused look and fixating on the empty waters to the side of her. "I was always moving towards something I didn't have a choice in. And, it felt so, _so_ lovely if I was going in the right direction… And so, _so_ awful if I wasn't…"

"Did you find what you were looking for?", he asked, quietly.

Rose was thankful she was turned away from him. Her embarrassment was too great. She could feel her cheeks begin to burn.

She shook her head, "I didn't… I went further from it. And everyone I knew turned into a stranger…"

"When I was dancing…", she continued "Everyone's face began to blur… And then I puked."

She didn't mention the fact that it was _his_ shining, brilliant face that shone through a sea of contorting persons. He was never once a stranger to her. She didn't want to remind _herself_ of that particular element of the story _._

"You got sick?", His brow furrowed deeper.

She turned back to him; an amused grimace on her face, "It seems I can't exactly celebrate in the same way that we used to… I'm much more of a light-weight, I guess."

"I felt like time was happening all at once…", he said after a moment. "I had this expansively detailed attachment to all these memories…And I, yet, couldn't remember my own mother's name…"

It was Rose's turn to look perplexed.

"I could see so many figments of my memory playing out in front of me; like watching a film.", His voice was gaining in intensity, "When we were in the car… Suddenly, I looked at you and I couldn't remember a moment without you being there. Like, time had suddenly collapsed on itself, and you were eternally present…"

The intensity grew. Rose could feel the same rising bumping in her chest.

"I began to obsess. Trying to remember when I first saw you… Or rather- when I first _saw_ you… I kept thinking- There had to be a moment. There _had_ to be a time…where I went from not knowing you…"

Rose just stared at him.

His voice softened, "And then, you looked at me- and suddenly your face was…different. It was still you. Very much you. But changed, somehow…"

He smiled, "I realized- I was watching a memory… Sort of. What clued me in was the ends of your hair, funnily enough."

"My hair?", Rose crinkled her nose.

"The ends were this awful, faded grey -almost green…", he sighed; a hint of a tease in his tone.

"The ends were green..?", Rose laughed. "Merlin- Yes. When I was fifteen… I used to dye it the ugliest black color… It must have been 4th.. or 5th year when I decided to let it grow back out. It looked _awful…"_

"It did look awful.", he smiled, "But it jogged my memory. Or -at least- helped reorient it. I remembered when I first _saw_ you. It was Al's first show…"

Rose nodded, her mind flooding again with memories.

"I remembered seeing you sat in a corner, while he played on stage, and thinking ' _Who let this little Gryffindor with ugly hair into the Slytherin_ _common room?'"_

Rose cackled, "You did _not!"_

His face flushed, "I did…"

"Oh- I didn't realize you were so _beastly_.", she grinned, "Truly -however- my hair looked _atrocious_ , so I'll give you a little credit."

"I don't deserve it-", He said, smiling softly, "But thanks for the vote of confidence."

They were silent for a moment.

"I remembered you looking at me that night.", he said, quietly. "It was so brief. But, I remember being…I don't know- You looked at me almost like you were ready to fight me"

"I probably _was_ ready to fight you. Not just you- anyone, really…", she grimaced.

He smiled, "Still- 4th or 5th year Scorpius was quite shaken by the interaction…"

Rose took on a mocking tone, " _How dare a Weasley even think to throw hands at a Malfoy- Just wait till my father hears of this…"_

Scorpius laughed, "Something of that sort…",

He shuffled his feet, the rubber of his shoe squeaking against the marble floors.

"Looking back on it now…", he sighed, "The reaction feels… Well- It makes sense."

"How so?", Rose caught herself off-guard with the boldness of her question.

Scorpius looked taken aback; his eyes narrowing softly.

"That maybe…", he said after a moment, "The little Gryffindor with ugly-hair and I would have a much more… tangled story than merely mad-dogging each other across the room of an open-mic night…"

Rose felt her eyes narrow as well. She tried to ignore the way his pensive eyes were causing a familiar stirring below her ribcage "What did you see when you looked at Al, after taking the candy? Did he turn into a melodramatic 11-year-old in front of your eyes?"

"I didn't see anyone else…", he said, quietly. The tone of his voice altered immediately.

"Excuse me?", she raised.

He didn't back down, "I didn't see anyone else. You were…everywhere. Just you…"

She felt like she should step back. Maybe more than one step. They were getting into dangerous territory. She didn't know exactly what they were talking about- or if they were talking about _anything_. She felt herself overtaken by that same sleepy haziness.

"We should get back to the party…", she said; her voice reading as if she had just suggested they jump off a cliff instead.

She saw his jaw clench; the blue light from the aquarium reflecting off the sharp angles of his cheek bones. In the light and the closeness, she noticed one of the emerald scales adorning his countenance -an added effect for the sake of his reptilian costume- had come loose.

She reached out; taking the tiny scale and placing it back in place, just beneath the hollow of his imbruing eyes.

"We should get back to the party…", she rattled out again. Her voice was barely above a whisper. She could feel the staining warmth in her fingertips; where they had managed to graze the skin below his ear.

He just stared at her- practically challenging her. _You leave first_ , the look read.

She took a deep breath in; willing the strength within her to move away from his searching stare and find her rightful place in the safety of a crowd.

"We should-"

She felt him grip gently around her forearm. She sensed the warmth return below her rib-cage. His head was cocked to the side; his face slight strained, as if searching for something.

"Do you hear that?", he asked. His head was poised towards the opposite stretch of the tunnel; further away from the atrium they had both arrived through.

Rose paused; straining her ears for the sound he was referring to. She, truthfully, could hear little else but the pounding of her own heart. His hand had not left her arm.

They were motionless for a moment. Rose was slightly overwhelmed by the stillness.

"I don't-", she started; unable to hear anything but the submerged rushing of water from the aquarium beside them. Suddenly- she felt it. She couldn't explain it if she tried, but she _felt_ the music before she heard it. The sound was winding and crackling; like an aging instrument being brought back to life.

The melody was a strange, yet inexplicably beautiful, noise. It sounded haunting…but soft. She had heard it before- she knew that. She felt the familiarity like a tingling along the base of her skull.

The moment the sound rested on her ears, she knew she needed to find it. Without speaking, her and Scorpius began to walk towards the end of the tunnel; moving from the blue opalescence of the water, towards a large marble corridor. The dark walls were lined with ornately detailed doors.

The sound of their feet against the hard stone began to fall in line with the melody pulling them closer. The soft clacks became unified as the refrain ebbed and flowed. The sound, it seemed, was coming from a larger door; situated at the very end of the large walkway. Rose felt herself slightly hypnotized. She noticed, through her haze, that his hand had still not left hers.

The door itself was decorated with elaborate delicacy. As they pushed against the heavy wood, Rose found herself mesmerized by the swirling intricacies. She could have sworn they too were moving in time with the enchanted melody…

The room itself was dark. If they had allowed the door to shut completely; they would be submerged in complete blackness. Something about that thought brought a rushing of blood to her face. She was suddenly thankful for the shadowed setting.

"There doesn't seem to be anything in here…" The sound of her own voice was jarring. She almost didn't recognize it.

As if her speaking had been a trigger, there was a burst of light. The darkened room gave way to reveal a solitary item. A piano. She and Scorpius both let out a sudden gasp.

The instrument was large and impressive- beautiful even. She couldn't remember being in the presence of such an ornate piece of musical engineering. It looked unlike any piano she had seen before.

Scorpius let go of her; moving immediately towards the piece. She suddenly felt cold; her arm raising with goosebumps.

"This is incredible…", He said, tracing the panes of the wood with his hands. His face was alight; his eyes flashing with a brief shine she had not seen for some time now. The corners of his mouth twitched with a hidden smile.

Rose found it difficult to look away from him.

"Is that where the music's coming from?", she rattled off, lamely. She realized, in that moment, the music had stopped. She found she couldn't recall when the melody had ceased it's intoxicating pull.

He didn't hear her. He was in his own world; his eyes transfixed on the keys in front of him. He sat down. His hands skimmed above the ivory, as if he was almost scared to touch them.

"I-", he said softly, "I haven't played something this grand in a long time…"

His hands pressed down delicately; the first note ringing gauzily off the walls of the great room. He paused; his face caught in momentary concentration. He took a deep breath and moved into the dreamy, swelling melody…

Rose felt her breath catch in her throat. She had forgotten he was capable of playing like that. His hands danced over the board; delicately rounding chords and cascading harmonics. She was, yet again, hypnotized. So much so, she barely registered the slight smatterings of color that had began to pop around her.

It wasn't until the pace of the song grew in cadence, and a broad stroke of color materialized between the two of them, that she noticed anything was happening.

"Merlin!", she cried. She couldn't help herself; the sight was so striking.

He stopped, her cry startling him. As soon as his fingers left the keys the bright floating colors began to dissolve. Their presence seemingly powered by the movement of the music.

"Keep playing.", she urged. Her eyes were large and imploring.

He picked up where he left off; his eyes now taking in the sight Rose had seen earlier. As his fingers began to find the routine of the refrain, the colors returned. He played further; the swatches taking shape further from the abstract.

He continued to play; his eyes widening in recognition.

"Bloody hell…", he said with awe, after a moment. "I- I don't believe it…"

"What?", she breathed.

"This- this is my mother's favorite song…", he sighed, "I used to sit and play for her in our drawing room… There was this painting- I used to stare at it as I played. I used to think it was something of a good luck charm- Doesn't matter… But- _That's_ the painting…"

Rose turned, looking fully at the materialized imagery in front of them.

"I was thinking of her while I was playing…", His brow furrowed. He had halted the piece he had been playing. The colors began to slowly dissolve again; melting together and drifting into the walls surrounding.

His picked up his hands; moving to a piece with a deliberately different tone. This was a melody she recognized; rag-time-y and uptempo.

After a moment a new shape began to form. A energetic ball of orange began to bounce about the space around them. The song played further and the little blob began to shift; sprouting arms, legs and a long curling tail.

Rose looked at him perplexedly, "The Entertainer?"

He simply nodded towards the shape. Dark stripes had begun to appear on it's body; lush fur cropped up in place of it's formerly translucent conjuring. All at once, a small, jovial tiger was dancing around in time to the jaunty rhythm.

"This song always made me think of Marty…", said Scorpius, with a smile. Rose looked from him, to the dancing tiger, then back to him. Suddenly it clicked.

"Oh, do Albus!", she requested, excitedly.

His hands left the keys. The tiny tiger vanished in a moment; an orange glimmer the only thing remaining in it's wake.

He thought for a moment; his eyes hold a mischievous glint. He nodded to himself; moving to the lower end of the keys.

"Typically-", He said flicking his eyes up at her, "This is played with a full symphony orchestra… But we'll have to make due…"

She felt a sudden thrill run through her.

He moved to play once more; his hands banging on the keys with sudden force. As if on cue; the walls surrounding began to glow a vengeful red; moody bursting of black and burgundy began to shower around them with every note.

Rose almost laughed at the haunting shift in tone. The moody uproar of color was _exactly_ Albus.

"Is this _Beethoven?"_ , she cried over the turbulent pounding of piano keys and aggressive shiftings in pigment.

He met her with a smirk.

She leaned against the cover of the large instrument. "It's a _very_ apt choice…It resonates."

"I'm impressed with your classical knowledge, Weasley.", he said. His eyes were shining. She hadn't seen them shine like that since…well. Since before she could remember.

She looked down; suddenly bashful. "There's no one who understands an unbearably moody youth like Beethoven…"

"Makes sense…", he said, with a small smile; his fingers leaving the keyboard once more. The room shifted. The color drained from the walls, leaving only the piano and it's surroundings visible.

"Do Angèle…", she said, suddenly. She could have kicked herself. She didn't know why she said it. They were having such a lovely time; s _he had to go and ruin it…_

His brow furrowed lightly, but he turned back to the keys; his fingers fluttering lightly over the ivory. He thought for a moment; his lips pursed in concentration.

As he began to play, Rose anticipated a large pulse of color or something shiny and vibrant. Instead, the small, slightly bittersweet melody conjured a slow rising of pink bubbles. They seemed to materialize from the ground below; floating around the two of them in a soapy, looping dance.

As soon as one bubble would rise, it would pop; a slight shower of pink dust dissolving in it's place. The delicate nature of the song manifested in the fragility of the imagery. The song was beautiful, but drifting -almost ditzy.

"It's Rachmoninoff…", he said after a moment; continuing to play. "I've always liked this song. There's a childish quality to it; but not entirely soft. It's got a bit of an edge- a fragile edge."

"It's a beautiful piece…", sighed Rose, quietly. There was a slight satisfaction in watching the bubbles disappear completely; the room submerged, again, in shadows.

"It's not my favorite…", he murmured, looking back at the instrument. Rose felt a small shiver sun down her spine at his words. She wasn't sure was they were really talking about at this point. She was too terrified to ask.

Their eyes met; a quiet intensity brewing in the silence of the moment.

"Do me…"

It was out of her mouth before she could stop herself. She knew, in that expanse of time, she had broken some spell, crossed some imaginary line. They were already walking on glass; they both knew it. In two words, she had just asked them to sprint through the silvery shards.

He did not flinch. He simply looked at her. No internal recalibrating, no leg bounce, no hint of some unreadable emotion; he just looked.

She backed down first; her face burning. In an instant, she felt smaller than she thought was possible. Her instinct was to leave the room immediately; run as far away from him as she conceivably could.

Then he began to play.

From the moment his fingers stroked the first wistful note; shapes and colors began to bloom all around her. The softly rolling rhythm made Rose feel as if she were dreamily walking through some world her imagination could not do credit to conceive.

The faint _dun-dun, dun-dun_ of the melody instinctively mirrored the heartbeat she often felt herself submitting to whist in his presence. She found the ground beneath her feet beginning to glow; the colors moving in time to the lofty music.

She moved one foot. The glow followed. She moved another foot. The floor beneath sparkled with color. She moved another, and another. Her body seemed to intrinsically know the movements of the music -although she knew she had never heard anything like it before.

Soon, she was dancing; her motions creating an illuminated display on the floor beneath her. As the song grew in intensity, she began to make out visions of flowers blooming around her. Gorgeous, colorful blooms sprouting everywhere she could see. The colors were so vibrant; mixing in beautiful patterns around her feet.

She closed her eyes; allowing herself to sit in the magic for just a moment. When she opened her eyes, she gasped.

They were no longer in a dark room. The sky above had been transformed into a startling blue sky. Grass and flowers grew beneath her feet. She could _feel_ the wind against her face. She could _smell_ the heavy floral scent of beautiful, growing things.

She looked at him; an intensity building inside of her unlike anything she had ever felt before. She couldn't fathom any of it; not the beauty of the song, not the intensity of his vision. She barely knew what to feel.

It seemed he could feel her gaze on him. Their eyes met. Rose, strangely, felt her throat begin to constrict; the corners of her eyes felt hot, as if stung by the winds whipping through the floral field they had been transported to. He was telling her so much, giving her so much- it became almost unbearable.

She found herself moving towards him; despite the unbearable nature of this interaction. She couldn't help it. The song was too beautiful. His _face_ was too beautiful.

The piece ended. She awaited the slow dissolving of the rustic imagery, as his fingers left the keys for the final time. The world did not dissolve. Instead, the silence was filled with the sounds of rushing, easy winds and the slight chirps of birds.

They stayed motionless for a moment; each of them slightly reeling from the shared experience. Rose sat gently on the bench next to him.

"I'm not familiar with that piece…", she said, shakily. She still felt that strange, clenched feeling at the back of her throat.

He looked at the keys, a slight redness could be seen on the tips of his ears, "That would be because I wrote it…"

His voice had the same shaky quality that Rose's did.

Rose let the weight of his words settle around her. She willed her heart to cease it's incessant pounding; now amplified by the proximity between them.

"When did you write this?", she whispered. She wasn't exactly sure what she was asking.

She looked at her; his eyes were almost grief-stricken.

"A while ago…", he sighed, his mouth twisting with mirth. She wasn't exactly sure what he was saying.

"How did you find me?", She asked suddenly, She felt breathless. "In the tunnel- with the mermaid… I had been wandering for ages…How did you know where I was..?"

Her voice trailed off. She was overwhelmed by the intensity in his eyes.

His voice was soft, but firm. "I was moving towards something I didn't have a choice in…"

She felt the sudden intake of breath; her mind registering his appropriation of her earlier sentiments. He had felt _exactly_ what she had. He was telling her -using her own words against her.

"And, it felt so, _so_ lovely if I was going in the right direction…", he continued; his voice cracking slightly, "And so, _so_ awful if I wasn't…"

She wanted to wrap her arms around him in that moment. The heaviness of his tone was excruciating. She suddenly felt the immense weight of their entire evening together. She was slowly piecing together a truth she couldn't fully wrap her head around.

Every look sent her way, every word spoken to her, every song sang was a deep declaration of the most treacherous reality she could imagine. She felt her whole body rioting with that golden buzzing that had taken over hours earlier.

She was so overcome with emotion; she scarcely knew what was happening. in the second she registered how close they were to one another; it was already too late.

Her hand reached up; impulsively brushing a stray lock of hair back into place.

He flushed. She flushed.

"Sorry-", she whispered, twisting her fingers together in her lap.

"No-", he sighed, shaking his head.

She smiled. He smiled. They were so close, it was electrifying.

He reached out; his hand covering the anxious twitching of her own. Rose felt submerged again; the liquid gold surrounding them returned. Their mouths were so close; she could feel his breath against her neck.

"Rose, I-"

"What the _hell_ is going on here?!"

They had not registered the blistering slam of a door in their quiet, intimate moment. The floral world fell away in an instant; bringing them back to the darkness of the room. A room that now felt shabby and grey by comparison.

They jumped from one another; knowing that cold, calculated voice anywhere. It struck fear right to the very core of Rose.

The light from the hallway cast a terrifying, flickering shadow; the figure standing hauntingly in the door way.

"I _ask again-"_ , said Mina, marching towards them, "What the _hell_ is going on here?"

—

dun dun dun DUN

What did you guys think? Have the two of them revealed too much? Will they _have to_ admit their feelings for one another?

Okay honestly, writing this literally exhausted me, lol! This chapter had been swimming in my head for _so_ long. I die over Scorpius not even realizing he's revealing how much he loves Rose. _Through song._

Speaking of song. I have soundtracked literally every second of this chapter, so if you are inclined, I would give these songs a listen.

 **Gengis** \- Polo & Pan (If you press play from the start of the chapter, this song will give you exactly the vibe of what _everyone_ is feeling as they enter the party)

 **Stranger** \- Skrillex (Rose talks to Lily and attempts to "Have fun". Chaos ensues.)

 **I Make Sparks** \- Novo Amor (Rose walking through the corridors and finding the mermaids)

 **Nocturnes, Op. 9 No. 3 in B Major** \- Chopin (Scorpius's song for his mom)

 **The Entertainer** (Marty's song)

 **Symphony No. 5** \- Beethoven (Al's song)

 **Margaritki (Daisies) Op. 38, No. 3** \- Rachmaninoff (Angele's song)

 **Lyric Pieces, Book V, Op. 54: No. 4** \- Grieg (Rose's song) **If you listen to _any_ of these songs, I would highly recommend listening to this one. It's my favorite piece of classical music and it's bananas beautiful***

Would love any thoughts you guys have! I love, love _love_ reading your reviews. They fill me with joy and I love hearing how you feel the story is going to go/what you liked/didn't like/how you feel about the music/ anything!

Love always!

xoxo


	10. Moon River And Me

_Heyyyy guys! Back with another chapter. We're starting off with a little flashback. Hope it gives you some insight on the bands origins and the mindsets of our favorite lil' babies._

 _Enjoy this chapter and this journey…to the paaaaaast._

—

 _January 18th, 2021_

As she was often want to do, Rose Weasley was fuming.

Her frosty interiors were only amplified by the frigid temperature brought on by melancholy January winds. She hated the cold. Hated soggy boots and red noses. Hated _jingle bells_ and twinkling lights. The whole of it made her feel inexplicably empty inside. She'd rather be filled with something more tangibly exciting…like _rage_.

Luckily for her, Albus was providing her with ample amounts of anger with which to sample from. She was planning on spending her Saturday laid under piles of parchment with her bed-hangings drawn firmly shut. With her more socially voracious dorm mates traipsing off to whatever vapid weekend engagement they had subjected themselves to, Saturdays were often the only times she ever encountered a moments peace. Outside the Gryffindor common room she had a wealth of overbearing (read- _annoying)_ relatives, and one very needy cousin.

 _Speaking of said cousin-_

"Rosie, _please_ stop the ice-queen routine. _I'm_ the one here who's exclusively allowed to be melodramatic…"

Rose only glared, crossing her arms tighter and sliding down further into the wooden booth they were squeezed into.

She had been dragged to Hogsmede on the pretense of a 'very important announcement'. Something for _"The Band"_ , no doubt. Albus had been relentless with the idea of turning their little singer/songwriter duo into something legitimate.

Rose wasn't quite sure how she felt about any of that. With her abysmal marks, and Albus's penchant for internal _and_ external destruction, they'd be lucky if they wound-up with careers shoveling chimera dung for the rest of their lives.

 _Musician_ seemed like something whimsically far off; unattainable for someone who wasn't much good at anything. Someone…like her.

"Rosie, _come on_. This is ridiculous"

Still, ever since his infamous set in the Slytherin common room, the air surrounding the two had changed. Albus was less sullen, less overwrought. Rose was less reserved, less tiresome. Even _she_ couldn't stop the slight tingle that ran down her spine at the thought of where his talent could take the two of them…

"Then tell me _why_ you've brought me here!", she finally snapped, leaning forward and pounding a mitt-ed fist on the table in front of them.

"…I've asked Malfoy to meet with us."

Slight tingle be damned. Rose felt her already churning interiors begin to froth.

" _Scorpius_ Malfoy?"

The foamy corners of Albus's lips quirked sheepishly, "The one and only…"

Rose closed her eyes, willing the tidal wave of emotion to cease it's imminent destruction,

"Why…the _fuck_ …would you ask Scorpius Malfoy to meet with us, Al?"

Albus shrugged, "I want him to join the band."

Rose stood, her mind flitting suddenly to the smug, weaseled countenance of the Malfoy in question. They had rarely had contact with one another, save for a few standard classes. She always regarded him in the same way she did any other of the beautiful elite who happened to grace the same hallowed halls of Hogwarts as her; with disdainful distrust.

"You asked that pretentious, _egomaniac,_ little Slytherin to join our…'band'?", she screeched, throwing two forceful quotations around the word 'band'. The timid musical meanderings of the two barely 15-year-olds could hardly be described as a 'band'.

Al rolled his eyes, "I'm a Slytherin too, you know…"

"Isn't this the same _psycho_ who locked you out of your shared dormitory every night for an entire month? Just for fun?!" Her eyes were practically bulging out of her head.

"We were twelve…And that was more to do with Clayton being a wanker than Malfoy…", he sighed, taking another foamy chug of his butter beer. "He's not like that anymore…"

Rose crossed her arms again, shaking her head in disbelief.

"You saw him at the Christmas show, Rosie! Even _you_ can't deny how insanely talented he is…"

Her mind ran back to the annual Hogwarts recital; whose usual goal was to festively embarrass it's participants and effectively bore it's audience. Scorpius had made a shocking appearance; stunning the crowd with a spirited piano rendition of "Carol of The Bells". He had looked rather blasé during the entire performance, but Rose could sense a slightly pleased and bashful air around him…

It made her distain for him and his snobby posse even greater.

"Oh _wow_. He can play _chopsticks_ with flourish. That would _definitely_ make it worth the utter humiliation we would endure at his hands.", she said through gritted teeth, "Have you _possibly_ thought that he's agreeing to meet with us so he can give his cronies more ammunition with which to mock us?"

Albus shrugged again, "I haven't. Because we're friends."

"Since when?!"

"Since…I don't know. Things change. He's not like Clayton or Crowley", Albus pushed a lock of jet black hair away from his face, "He's like us."

Rose scoffed, "Hardly."

"He knows _music_. In a technical way. He's skilled."

"I don't care if he's _Mozart_ incarnate. I refuse to be associated with such a pompous, slimy, arrogant, _weasel-faced_ , little Slyth-"

"-Sorry, am I interrupting something?", drawled a cool voice from behind her.

She turned; coming face-to-face with the very boy she was so ceremoniously bestowing insults upon. She scowled. Narrowed silver eyes matched her own tranquil blues.

"No. _I_ was just leaving.", she huffed; reaching for her bag, "You two have fun."

She was too slow. Albus reached forward and snatched the worn satchel from in front of her.

"Rosie.", His voice carried a slight edge. "Ten minutes. That's all I ask."

She looked to the booth. Scorpius was already making himself comfortable in the seat next to Albus; looking at her with an amused sort of ambivalence.

It made her blood boil.

"Why?", she snapped, "So I can watch you make a fool of yourself? No thank-you. You've barely managed to convince _me_ to run through this maniacal gauntlet with you. I can't imagine the second-hand embarrassment I'll accrue watching you attempt to convince _Malfoy_ to do the same."

Albus was silent; his face twisted with exasperation.

"He's already asked me, _Weasley._ ", Malfoy smirked up at her, "Didn't he tell you?"

She was seeing red.

"No. He didn't.", she glared at him. "I can't _imagine_ why he would keep such crucial information from me. He probably wants me out of his life _for good._ "

"We need him, Rosie." Albus implored. "You and I can only do so much-"

She practically laughed, she could feel the heat of her cheeks glowing red, "We don't need _Fur Elise_ , okay? It's the farthest thing from our sound-"

"I can play five instruments…", sighed Scorpius; the air about his cadence was one of excruciating boredom.

"Liar.", she snipped, turning to him.

He shrugged. He was looking at her with some unreadable emotion. Not quite pity, not quite apathy. Whatever it was, it had the unnerving ability to make her anger begin to dissipate, instantly. Now, she was aware of how childish her outburst seemed.

She closed her eyes, "Sorry- What instruments can you play?"

He sighed again, rolling is eyes to the ceiling, "Piano -you know. Guitar -mostly proficient. Bass - _fairly_ proficient… Drums-"

"-You can play drums?!", Her excitement got the better of her. They were in desperate need of a drummer- one thing her and Al both had the embarrassing inability to master.

"Isn't that what I just said?", He droned; giving her that look again. Still, Rose could see the hint of a smirk behind his lips.

She pursed her own lips, "Alright. That's four. You said you could play five."

A full beat. Smirk appeared. "I do a damn good bash on the triangle."

 _Oh no._ The break of a smile was threatening to crack through her decidedly rage-bent exterior.

 _How did he do that?_

" _Fine."_ , she sighed; rolling her eyes as a means to rectify her almost-grin. She found herself sitting back down in the booth, opposite to Scorpius and Al. "I guess we could see how useful you can be to us…"

He looked at her; the smirk gone. "Oh, _useful?_ And what do _you_ do, Weasley? I can't recall ever seeing you get up on stage…"

Rose's mouth opened; her brows furrowing with disbelief.

"Rose is a gifted lyricist!", cut in Al, sensing the tension, "Truly. -And she's got a lovely voice. Unfortunate bit of stage fright- But we'll get her there…"

"Hmm…", said Scorpius; tapping his fingers on the table, "You wrote the song Al performed a few weeks ago?"

She nodded; her eyes shooting daggers at Albus.

"She's totally brilliant.", Al continued; unaware of Rose's fiery gaze. He reached in her commandeered satchel, pulling out a coveted leather-bound little notebook.

Rose blanched.

"Al, no!", she screeched, getting up from her chair and lunging for him. "Don't!"

Her insides felt like ice. That was _her_ journal. It's where she kept every song, every thought, every feeling…And it was currently being unceremoniously rifled through by pale, clammy boy-hands.

"Give. It. Back.", she said, with every depth of fear she could muster. She stamped her foot on the ground. Neither blonde nor black-haired audience paid her any attention.

"This is her latest…", said Albus, pointing to a freshly inked column of words. ' _The Sun & Moon'_, scratched in hasty ethos at the top. "Take a read. I'm going to grab us a fresh round of drinks…"

Rose coiled with defeat, sinking deeply into the booth. Scorpius had a vice-like grip on her little songbook, and she didn't feel they were at the point in their barely-there acquaintance where she could sensibly do him physical harm. She threw a flame-cheeked face on the table; wrapping arms about in sanctuary. She _hated_ Albus.

If she didn't _die_ of embarrassment once Scorpius had finished tearing her childish scribblings to shreds, she was going to find the nearest body of icy water and drown her cousin in it.

"You wrote this?"

HIs tone startled her. It was soft. Softer than she'd ever heard him speak before. _Oh god. It must be really bad_. _He's trying to find the nicest way of telling me my lyrics remind him of the ramblings of a drunken house-elf._

She nodded, unable to lift her head from her sweater-cloaked shelter.

"Pure poetry…", she heard him say; not a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

She lifted her eyes, squinting in disbelief.

He was back to reading, flipping through the worn pages.

"Oh, please don't…", her voice cracked. "I've barely managed to get through you reading something I have a modicum of pride in…"

He smirked again, "Will I find some simpering declaration of love for one of our esteemed classmates?"

Rose snorted, using his momentary distraction to yank her precious journal back. "Only if you count a rather unfortunate obsession with the portrait of the legless knight on the 8th floor…"

He chuckled, but was silent. She noticed- he wouldn't stop bouncing his leg. _He must be so bored right now._

"I like your writing.", he said, after a moment. "You write as if you've experienced many lives…"

She paused, taking in his words. Her body practically rejected the comment; manifesting in a coughing spell that she only barely suppressed.

"Sometimes it's easier to pretend to be someone else.", she was finally able to spit out. Her hands had begun to sweat. _When was Albus coming back?_

He quirked an eyebrow, "Or maybe- you'd rather be anyone but yourself…"

She found herself laughing at the boldness of his statement. He flushed- surprised by her decidedly amused response.

"Wow, Malfoy. So edgy- Tell me _more_ about my deep, dark soul. _Please._ "

He rolled his eyes, "Okay, okay. No more introspection from me…"

She laughed lightly; the air around them falling into awkward silence once again. She saw him sigh and continue to bounce his leg-this time with more vigor. She wracked her brain for something, _anything_ to say. She was so bad at this.

He cleared his throat. "Where'd all your hair go?"

She blanked at him, "My hair?"

He nodded towards her wool cap. It was currently sheltering a light layer of red fuzz; the cause of which was an impulsive encounter with her step-fathers electric razor while she was home for the holidays.

"Oh.", she said, pulling up the cap and running a hand instinctively through the cropped mane, "Uh- Well. New Years Eve wasn't as delightful as I had originally hoped it would be."

He gave her a dubious look.

"I was bored…", she sighed, sheepishly. "No one invited me to partake in the festivities-"

"-So you chopped all your hair off?", he said, regarding her with a questionable quirk of an eyebrow.

She yanked the cap down past her ears, "Sorry- if my _loneliness_ isn't relatable to you, Malfoy. We can't all be the _Belle_ of the ball…"

"For your information, _Weasley_ …", he countered, giving her an eye, "I spent my New Years Eve alone as well, and I managed to keep all my hairs firmly on my head."

To say his admittance shocked her, was an understatement. She didn't show it, however. She merely shrugged and crossed her arms.

"I suppose you spent the night lain on the floor, weeping and listening to _Lily Lachrymose_ records?"

"Try Bob Dylan…", he snipped, looking up at the ceiling.

She couldn't help the look of shock that came over her features, "Since when does a Malfoy listen to a muggle artist like _Bob Dylan_?"

His eyes flashed; but he didn't let it show in his tone. "Since… maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do…"

She pursed her lips. She felt strangely foolish, for some reason.

"Tambourine Man is one of my favorite songs…", she said quietly, after a moment. Her eyes were fixed on the knotted wood of the table in front of her.

" _Mister_ Tambourine Man is masterpiece…"

She flicked her eyes up for a moment. The smirk was back on his face, inviting her in. She felt a strange quirk beneath her ribcage.

She rolled her eyes, ignoring his jab and the sudden influx of unfamiliar feeling.

"Your writing reminds me a bit of Dylan…", he said, using that same soft voice from before. "The way the words sort of melt into one another…"

She shifted in her seat, tugging at a fray bit of string coming loose from her jumper.

"Thanks.", she said glibly.

"You two making friends?", a jovial voice called; banging three glasses of butter beer on the table in front of them.

"Attempting-", sighed Rose; refusing to make eye contact with the blonde sitting across from her. She felt as if he had peered into her insides for a moment. It made her feel…uneasy.

They all took generous sips from their mugs.

"She's talented, isn't she?", asked Albus; pointing his mug in the way of his red-headed and red-faced cousin.

"Very much so…", said Scorpius; looking directly at his foamy beverage.

"Brilliant!" cried Al, "What say- We put something a… _bit stronger_ in these drinks and have ourselves a good, ol' fashioned romp around Hogsmeade-"

Rose groaned.

"-To celebrate the forming of the greatest band to ever grace the hallowed halls of Hogwarts- nay… _The World!"_

The two less-convinced parties of the unlikely trio found each others eyes across the worn table. For some reason, Rose felt that same tingle down the back of her spine; the one she usually got when she allowed herself the luxury of siding with her dream-bent cousin…

She did not know if her future would hold much of the unreadable, mysterious blonde sitting opposite to her. However, there was something nipping in the back of her mind that told her they weren't done with one another… just yet.

When years would ebb, and their lives wound the delicate time-wrought threads that connected the two so succinctly and held them so distinctly apart; Rose would think back on this day with a fond sort-of rebirth.

Even years later, she found it difficult to forget the way the three of them giddily paraded through the streets of Hogsmede; fuzzy with secretly spiked butter-beer. She found it difficult to erase the lightness her heart felt as they sang _"Hey Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me.."_ and pelted one another with dreary clumps of January snow.

She found it especially difficult to dismiss the way her eyes lingered on the pink and orange glimmer of the setting sun as it caught the waxen hairs capping the head of her newly acquired bandmate…

Even now-

" _I ask again. What the hell is going on here?"_

Their bodies flew from one another; admitting more with the sudden retraction than any words could say.

"I was-"

"She-"

Neither knew what to say. What _was_ going on? As the stark notion of reality barged in on their tiny dream-world, she felt the golden tendrils of their fancy begin to recoil.

Mina's eyes were dark; flitting from Rose, to Scorpius and then back again.

She pointed a velvet-clawed finger at Scorpius, " _You_ are needed back at the party. I've been searching for you two for over an hour. The level of _unprofessionalism-"_

Rose felt her chest begin to constrict, "Mina, I got sick. He came to help. I-"

She turned from Rose, holding a hand to silence her. "Scorpius needs to be in the great hall, _immediately_. I don't have time for excuses. Angele and him have been asked to perform- An incredible opportunity- "

She snapped, gesturing for Scorpius to leave the room. He looked genuinely frightened.

"What are we- What song?", he choked out; giving Rose a helpless look. It made her insides turn.

"Anything- It doesn't matter", Mina snapped, "Find Angele and just _do your job-"_

He exited the room briskly, casting one last sorrowful look in her direction. She could feel the rapid bumping of an increasingly anxious heartbeat.

He left; leaving Rose one-on-one with a set of rapidly darkening eyes.

She made moves to exit the room as well; casting her eyes anywhere but the fearsome presence occupying, but she felt a hand grip firmly around her arm; halting her in her tracks.

Mina's voice was low, "I don't know what _game_ you think you're playing-"

"I'm not- I don't..", she sputtered, feeling trapped.

"I know _exactly_ what I saw, Miss Weasley…", cut in Mina, tightening her grip, "If you think for a moment, I'll let something as trifling as _you_ put a dark smear on the career of my client, you're more foolish than I thought."

Rose opened her mouth in defense, but no words came. She felt as if she had been kicked in the stomach.

Mina pressed in, "Do you have _any_ idea how much money is riding on this pairing? How much work has gone into the success of their tour? Any idea how important this is for both of their careers?"

"..Tom told me I shouldn't worry. That your age factored little into your professional standing. But, I knew he was wrong. I'm shocked you've made it this far with how little you seem to understand about this business…", she smiled cruelly, "But then again- You've always had fame working on your side-"

Rose gasped, yanking her arm away and pulling herself further "Mina, this is unfair! You have no idea-"

" _You_ have no idea, Miss Weasley.", she countered, moving forward. "You should be thanking me. If you stand a chance in the industry at all, you're going to have to sacrifice a few fleeting feelings-"

"-It's nothing like-", she cried, shaking her head vigorously.

"-Do you think their fans are going to want to pay the galleons they've already spent to watch a performance if they discover one of them has a _backstage side piece?!_ Anyone at the party could have seen you. What I saw was bad enough… _"_

Rose was speechless.

"-Scorpius Malfoy has what it takes to be a genuine star. Do you realize that?", This was the least retrained she had ever seen Mina. "I know you believe your cousin to be your…meal ticket, but Mr. Potter is one wild weekend away from total ruin."

Rose shook her head again, but she could not find the truth to fight Mina's words.

"You know it. I know it. _Everyone_ knows it.", she leaned back, letting Rose sit with the weight of her sentiment.

She felt her resolve harden, refusing to let Mina steamroll her in the way she was so decidedly doing. The magic that had transpired between her and Scorpius only moments prior was quickly losing it's shine.

"You have nothing to worry about, _Miss Saito_ ", she sighed; ignoring the slight ache that coursed through her at her own admittance.

Mina's eyes narrowed; pursing her lips at the appropriation of her last name.

"Do _not_ trifle with me.", her voice curled, "You and I are teammates right now. But that could quickly change. I have been in this business longer than you've been _breathing."_

She moved forward again, crossing her arms with conceit, "I can snap my fingers and you and your _friends_ will be forgotten. Careers over. If you make Angele look foolish- If you make _me_ look foolish, I will not hesitate to end you."

Rose believed her. It took everything in her to maintain the resolute exterior she was fronting. Her insides were shaking; trembling with both fear and anger.

" _Like I said_ -", Rose snapped back, "You have nothing to worry about."

Mina smiled; that same smile that never quite reached her eyes.

"I'm glad we understand one another…"

Rose could only steel her gaze; praying Mina would let her be in peace.

The thin woman brushed past her; the black velvet of her costume aiding in the feeling of "fresh kill" Rose was currently experiencing within her.

Rose let out a deep breath. Mina's heels clacked righteously down the marble hall. There was a pause.

"Oh- and Miss Weasley-", her curling voice called from down the way, "From woman to woman… Aside from the business at hand… Don't waste your time with men like Malfoy…"

Rose turned; the corners of her eyes beginning to smart.

"You may think you're something special to them-", Mina's gaze was like a razor, but there was a slight hint of something else. "But there will always be someone younger, prettier and more inviting waiting in the wings; ready to take your place the second you're no longer interesting. _Always_."

With her final blow, Mina turned and swiftly walked down the corridor; leaving Rose in a swirling, empty, icy void.

In the span of a single evening, she felt as if she had experienced lifetimes. She could feel the final dregs of the crystal candy leave her system. In it's wake was the unrelenting tidal wave of reality; currently filling her brain and body with dread.

 _Don't waste your time with men like Malfoy…_

She hadn't planned to. Nothing she experienced this evening had been part of her entirely regimented lifestyle. She wished she had stayed home. She wished she had never put on that beautiful gown and taken intoxicating potions and submitted herself to the possibility of the dream that lay buried beneath their silent glances and silly jokes.

She wished she had never known the privilege of being held by those silver eyes; of his fingers resting gently against her own; of the burning, burgeoning beauty that she felt gazing at him from across the room.

She wished Albus had never asked the elusive and enigmatic fifteen-year-old Slytherin to join their scrappy little musical act. She wished they had not grown together. She wished she hadn't watched him become a man who was kind and gentle and funny. She wished they had never been friends. She wished he had not become her _best friend_ ; quite without her realizing it. She wished the replay of every laugh, every smile, every fight, every late night, every early morning wasn't currently running at lightening speed through her head.

Because all of it -every truth- made the reality of Mina's words sting in places she didn't realize she could hurt.

With trembling limbs, she trekked back to the main hall. The growing sounds and sights of people made her deadened heart feel even heavier. She could see the crowds of costumed individuals gathering around a small stage; the twang of a guitar finding it's tune amplified through the stone corridors.

"Merci Mesdames et Messieurs…", a small, clear voice giggled into a microphone.

Angele was on stage, looking joyous and radiant; her dress cascading around her in buoyant waves of fabric.

"Je sias…", she looked to her stage partner, " _Nous_ savons…"

Rose's eyes fell on Scorpius. Oh, how it made her insides twist.

"C'est un peu est…", She continued, adjusting the microphone, "A little last minute-"

She laughed, looking again at her stage partner as a means to bring him in on the levity. He smiled at her softly, but turned back to the crowd at hand. It seemed as if he were searching for something…

"This is a song we sing-", she continued -ever the professional, "Un coup de coeur- A _favorite…"_

He turned back to her, the softness in his eyes and smile returning, "Oui…la chanson a une place spéciale dans mon coeur"

 _This song has a special place in my heart…_

The crowd ate it up. Rose could feel the energy in the room shift; a quiet 'ooh' and 'aww' making it's way through the audience. She was reminded abruptly that everyone viewing was under the impression that the two on stage were blindly in love. Her insides felt frozen.

Angele counted them in softly; the first strum of the guitar crooned.

" _Moon River…",_ The two voices laced together, gorgeously. _"Wider than a mile…"_

Rose found herself hit by the melody in a way that was incomprehensibly overpowering.

"T _hankfully…_ Angele remembered they had practiced this song before.", a curling voice said in her ear, "Scorpius loves it. There was awhile where they were singing it together almost every day…"

Rose didn't give Mina the benefit of a response. She stood, motionless, watching the duo on stage sing the lyrics in lopping harmonies.

" _I'm crossing you in style someday…"_

It was the song.

The song they had heard that morning in Paris, while the sun was still rising; before their lives had become so relentlessly complicated. The song that had unknowingly etched his face in the delicate, hidden places of her mind every time she heard it. The song that was the bittersweet, aching melody that called to her during the turbulent and hollowed nightmares where she was trapped in the haunted version of her childhood home.

And he was up on stage, singing it to another girl.

She felt smaller and more insignificant than she had in her entire life. She knew the two of them were nothing more than a constructed fantasy; that Mina's cutting words were meant merely to bend her into submission. But it didn't matter.

As she watched the two put on a lovers show, she realized succinctly where her place in all of this was. Where her place would _always_ be.

 _There will always be someone younger, prettier and more inviting waiting in the wings; ready to take your place the second you're no longer interesting._

She would not risk her pain. She would not risk her pride.

She was Rose Weasley and he was Scorpius Malfoy. He was beautiful and magnetic and she was…just Rose.

If she was lucky, he'd forget her. He'd run off into the sunset with someone who could keep up with his shining brilliance. She would not lose her career- _his career_ , because of some overtly inebriated fancy.

It was a lie. It was _always_ a lie. It's falsehood glittered like beautiful fractals every time it was faced with the harsh light of reality. They were not meant to be together- they couldn't even try.

As the firmness of her resolve fell around her like sheets of ice; she felt his eyes find her in the crowd. They had lost a bit of their luster.

" _Oh dream-maker",_ Angele sang; calling to the crowd.

" _You heart-breaker…",_ He sang softly. It seemed he was speaking directly to her.

The reality of what she was about to do, of the answer she would firmly and resolutely give, became apparent. She felt something shift inside her.

She felt the taught corners of her throat begin to constrict. She felt her eyes burn brightly. She felt her chest begin to rise and fall rapidly. She felt large, angry tears begin to fill the vacant spaces her eyes usually held. She couldn't stand to look at him any longer.

She pushed past Mina, moving back through the crowd; the tears refusing to cease cascading.

She found her way back into a concealed hall; the rough edges of the wall flush against her palm. She could hear the bittersweet tune crawl and echo through the passage she had run to. Her chest heaved with relentless sobs. Ones she had hidden for twelve years.

She slid down to the floor, unable to stop her eyes from pouring out the secrets she trapped so deeply within her.

She brought her head to her knees; the overflow staining the beautiful silky satin of her periwinkle gown. An apt metaphor- she thought.

She submitted to the emotion, allowing herself to feel the overwhelming state she had gotten herself into. She was in over her head in every capacity. In life, in love, in everything in between.

She wanted to give it all up. She wanted to be fifteen again with her head freshly shaved and the world stretched in front of her. She wanted to say no to Al; to have never laid on that young, pointed face that had grown into the unending source of her current despondency. She wanted to be home. She wanted her mom… She wanted her-

 _No._ That thought was too much. She would not allow herself to go there.

Suddenly, she felt a hand rest gently on her shoulder.

"Rose-hey…", the familiar voice peeked through her solitary crying.

She looked up to see large brown eyes staring back at her.

"Mart-", she sniffed, wiping her eyes furiously, "I'm sorry- I'm- I'm…"

A fresh well of tears filled her eyes; turning the costumed boy in front of her to a fuzzy, orange blob. She had no words. She could not begin to describe what she was doing or why she was doing it.

Fortunately for her, if anyone in the world needed little reasoning as to the actions of others- it was Marty. He simply sat next to her and placed an arm around her shoulder. It seemed he inexplicably already knew.

She shook her head, the drops running in looping divots down the curve of her jaw.

"Why am I crying, Mart?", she said into the tear-stained caps of her knees. "I have so many other things to cry about… Why am I… Over _this_?"

She looked up. His eyes were flooded with kind sympathy -something she normally would have regarded with distain. Not now. Now, it filled her insides with the watery knotting of helplessness.

"Well…", he said, matter-of-factly; his normal, aimless absence replaced instead with a soft intensity "You love him, Rose. Those are the people that get us the most."

She wanted to fight his reasoning. She wanted to tell him that was an incapable thought, a _stupid_ thought. There was no way she could…

But as she sat against the wall; echo's of a melancholy tune reducing her stony resolve to heartache, she could not fight it. She instead, allowed a heavy head to fall on the fur-clad shoulder of her friend and allowed the last dregs of tears to fall and splash on the floor beside them.

" _We're after the same…"_

" _Rainbows end…"_

" _Waiting 'round the bend…"_

" _My huckleberry friend…"_

" _Moon River…and me…"_

—

The _worst_ chapter, I'm so sorry! I promise though, the next chapter is… _satisfying._

I hope you guys liked getting a peek into what the characters were like as kids. I love the thought of Rose impulsively shaving her head and growing it out as she and Scorpius grow to know one another. Hair grows, _love grows_. *cries*

Would love a review! They make my day!

Here's some music for the chapter:

-A Wave Of Goodbyes -Camel Power Club

-Hope She'll Be Happy -Bill Withers

-Salt In The Wound -boygenius

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

turnnnn


	11. Wider Than A Mile

Merry Christmas, Moonies. This chapter has almost 18k words. Perhaps my most challenging and favorite chapter I've ever written.

I hope you enjoy.

Love always.

turnaroundeverynowandthen

—

Lily had not been at the party.

As Rose awoke the next morning; with the unrelenting dredges of tears shed and an unmistakably splitting headache, she phoned her cousin with the intent of a necessary apology.

" _What the hell are you on about? I'm back in London…"_

Rose froze; her half-lidded and bleary eyes widening momentarily. She was quietly shuffling through the apartment, attempting to hastily pack suitcases and _not_ throw-up. The glitter from the previous night was still stuck in the slight ceases of her eyelids.

"You weren't at Franco's estate last night?", she half-whispered. She selfishly did not want to wake her companions; fearing any imminent interaction she would need to have with each of them.

" _What- No? I don't even know who that is…"_

Lily's voice was terse. Rightfully so. She and Rose had not spoken with one another in over two months. Rose's fault.

She sighed, wondering what other possibilities she may have imagined the evening prior…

"Well… Then I was very rude to a hallucinated version of you. -And for that, I am sorry…"

There was a pause.

" _Rose, are you okay?"_

A flash of memory from the previous night floated into Rose's peripherals. Crying into the carpeted shoulder of her aimless friend, then dressed as a tiger…Mina's cruel words…Scorpius's heady, cedar scent…

"If I said yes…would you believe me?", Her own voice sounded so veiled.

Another pause. She could hear Lily breath in deeply.

" _So… You hallucinated me at a party last night? You must have been on some pretty strong stuff…"_

One thing Rose always appreciated about her cousin, was her unfailing lack of any desire to discuss anything difficult. Something Rose understood deeply.

"It seems so…"

She could hear Lily sigh through the phone, _"How did I look?"_

"Divine, as always…", Rose snorted, snapping the clasps of Albus's trunk shut.

" _I'm somewhat pleased to know it was me who came to you in your intoxicated state…"_

Rose could hear a slight turn in Lily's voice, _"Perhaps it was your guilty conscience…"_

"I'm sorry, Lils…", Rose winced, "I've been busy…"

" _Not so busy as to keep from getting blitzed at a party last night!"_

Rose quickly took the call in the front room; afraid again of waking the boys sleeping in the room beside her. She was done with her packing, anyways.

"Last night was a fluke…", she sighed, absently scraping a socked foot against the shag of the carpet. It was the lovely tufted kind that one might run a hand though, leaving an imprint of fingers in its wake.

Last night _was_ a fluke. If she had any luck, she'd never have another night like that ever again.

" _Did you at least have fun?"_

Lily's tone was more of a demand.

 _Did_ she have fun last night? She thought of those swirling, shifting magical colors and the musician that had inspired them. That had been fun… _More_ than fun. She thought of the way her insides shifted upon seeing Scorpius on stage; of the aching tears that accompanied.

"I guess…", she kept her voice ambivalent. That had not been fun.

The air between the two cousins was still. All she could hear was the slight crackle of static. She found her foot had traced the looping shape of a heart in the aforementioned carpet. She quickly brushed it away.

"I cried last night. Hard." She heard herself blurting out. She had no idea what compelled her to do so. It was not like her to divulge something so out of character.

" _You never cry!"_

Lily sounded genuinely surprised. She, of all people, understood Rose's slightly worrisome emotional state. Lily could relate to a life without tears. The ducts of her eyes had been decidedly dry since Rose could remember.

"I know…"

" _Was it the come down?"_

Although, Rose thought pointedly, her own lack of sadness became readily redirected towards emotions of a different state. _Anger. Passion. Fear._ Lily seemed to possess a clear absence of any feeling. Perhaps it had been brought on by years of tumultuous familial clashing. Perhaps it was simply inherent to her nature.

"Something like that…"

Either way, Rose was decidedly jealous. Although the tears from the evening prior had dried and the desire to release was no longer present, the dull knotting in her stomach, and the deadened feeling in her chest had not gone away.

" _Now you sound like Louie.",_ Laughed Lily, cueing Rose to the fact that she was done talking about _her_ problems. _"If I ever lose him at a party, I can usually seek the nearest water fountain or gazebo…or chalet and, chances are, he'll be there…weeping."_

"How _is_ Louis?", Rose went along; thankful for the departure from the conversation that could easily shift towards her less than ecstatic emotional state. _She_ was done talking about her problems too.

" _Not sure…"_ , Lily quipped _"I left him back in Paris. He's endlessly heartbroken over some Spanish viscount."_

Rose had a glittering vision of Louis, lain on the floor of some marbled estate, weeping beneath a man in a giant crown and a large velvet robe.

"What's a _viscount_?", asked Rose, chuckling to herself.

" _Who cares…"_

Rose thought for a moment, "Why are you in London, again?"

" _Oh…",_ LIly's tone changed. _"Uh- Gran had a pretty bad fall, recently. I'm visiting her at Mungo's…"_

Rose felt her insides turn; her foot slipping slightly on the carpet.

"What-"

" _-She's fine! She's completely fine, It's not a big deal"_ , Lily cried, almost exasperatedly. Rose got the impression Lily had gone through this conversation a few times already. _"Don't tell anyone I told you and don't tell Al. He'll get sick over it."_

Rose fell to a cushioned chair besides her. She felt her body rocked by the sudden flood of panic and the quick dissipation. She would _not_ be telling Al… He loved his Gran to a degree that made the rest of the grandchildren feel insignificant by comparison.

"Why didn't anyone tell me?". Her feelings were slightly rocked.

Lily gave an award-winning groan, _"The family doesn't want you to worry… They're- I don't know… They're proud of you. They want you to succeed- Especially Gran."_

Rose shook her head, unsure of how to respond. She felt slightly sick at the thought of how little her family might think of her with the way she was managing life lately. Or, how poorly she was _managing_ Al…

"Well- I guess, give her a kiss for me. Tell her I'll give her a ring in a few days.", Rose did the mental math, unsure if she would have even a moment to ring her Gran with how the American tour was playing out. It made her feel even sicker than before.

"Do you think she'll want to hear about my exhilarating _psychoactive_ experience?", she teased, needing to lighten the mood inside of her.

" _She'll love it."_ Lily deadpanned.

There was another paused. Rose had a sudden, overwhelming urge to spill everything to Lily from the evening prior…from the past two _months._ She desperately wanted to talk to her, _to anyone,_ about all the terrible, confusing beauty that she experienced gazing into the eyes of someone who's place in her heart she had refused to give cause to.

"Lils…", she sighed, secret words forming in her mouth before she had the power to halt them. "I have to-"

She was stopped by a steady buzzing from her wand. _Red_. An emergency. _Always an emergency…_

"I have to go…", The guilt in her voice was palpable.

Lily clicked her tongue, _"Maybe you can call me in another two months…"_

"Lily, I said I was-", Rose jumped in.

"I know, I'm joking.", she said, softly.

Another pause. Rose could feel the growing vigor of the buzzing from her wand.

" _Rose-"_ , Lily cut in. Her voice had a strained quality to it, _"I… I'm pr-"_

She stopped, her voice clipped.

" _I'm proud of you too…I'll tell the family you send your love…"_

— _-_

Their portkey was delayed by an entire day. An entire day that Mina deemed _entirely unacceptable_. If they missed the transport, that would bring them to Los Angeles at barely 7pm the following evening. They'd miss their planned meeting at WSR's LA plant _and_ a scheduled tech rehearsal. It simply wouldn't do.

Mina had been surprisingly genial to Rose since the drama from the night before. Perhaps she had felt a deep transforming in her conscience about the harsh way she had spoken to her young collegue. Perhaps it was entirely due to the obvious and continual physical distance between Rose and Scorpius and her kindness was merely a product of her own victory.

Rose guessed the latter.

Her body langue made it clear to him exactly how much they were going to dissect the mishaps of feelings they had unintentionally began to tread on.

Which is to say, _they weren't_.

Luckily, the morning was so chaotically busy, she barely had time to feel the twisting pang of nausea every time she happened to look his way. _Please forget me, please forget me,_ is what she tried to tell him through any passing, unintentional gaze. _Please forget me, so I can forget you…_

They were going to have to fly. Actually fly.

There was _no_ way they were going to make it in any sort of reasonable time if they didn't depart the country _immediately_. They were cutting it close as it was.

In a way that would likely make her late father turn in his grave, Rose had distrust for muggle transport in general. She _especially_ hated aircraft of any type. She had been on an airplane _once_ as a child; a rare visit to her maternal grandparents in Australia. She had vowed to never step foot on an airplane again if she could feasibly help it.

Even the notion of being suspended in the air, contained in a large, metal deathtrap, with nothing but muggle ingenuity to keep them airborne, made the insides of her person begin to carousel with panic.

In her travelings with the band, she made it her business to portkey and apparate them as much as possible. With their old schedules, they could fudge a few hours here and there in order to gain travel clearance.

But that was then…And Mina had decided they were traveling by plane.

So they were traveling by plane.

It was a small plane; private. Their new level of fame acquired certain luxuries. But even the eliteness of their method of transportation did not stop Rose from white-knuckling the armrest of the seat she was in, her heart-rate going about a million miles an hour.

" _Are you okay?"_

She must be doing worse than she realized if, not one but, _two_ Potters were inquiring about the state of her sanity in less than one day.

She was sat next to Al. She tried not to feel the world-bending crush of her soul when Scorpius deliberately sat with Angele and Mart up at the front, refusing to make eye-contact with her. It was what she wanted…and she knew it was necessary, but it didn't stop her from feeling like _maybe_ she didn't mind if the jet they were sequestered into crashed into the sea; ending all of their menial lives.

She opened her eyes, looking up at her cousin. It was strange to see him regard her in the tender way he was doing. She had forgotten what it was like to have him actually _see_ her. It seemed, these days, his person was wrapped in a veil of self-absorption that clouded everything around him.

"Who, _me_?", she said through clenched teeth. Their initial ascent had been rough. Rose had almost completely lost the miserable breakfast she had managed to choke down. Now that they were airborne her insides had settled slightly, but her being was far from…okay.

His mouth twisted, "You look ill..?"

"Oh…", she sighed, closing her eyes again, " _You know_ …If I had to choose between booking a three months stay in the largest cellar Azkaban had to offer, or sitting in this plane right now…I'd have to say _bonjour_ to the dementors…"

She heard Al laugh.

"Oh right…You're terrified of heights. _Poor Rosie…"_

Rose scrunched her eyes tighter. _Poor Rosie_. Damned if she didn't feel like poor, stupid _wretched_ Rosie right now.

"You're an _apt_ observer, Al", her voice was laced with malice, "Are you going to tell me next that my hair is red? Or that my jumper is grey?"

Al only chuckled, "Alright, alright…I can see you're in a foul mood, I won't pester…"

"Thank-you.", she sighed, cricking her neck slightly.

"-But I _will_ try and cheer you up."

She cracked an eye open, he was grinning at her wildly. She groaned.

"What happened to ' _I won't pester'_? Are we past that now?", she ran a hand through her knotted ponytail.

"How about a drink?", Al supplied enthusiastically, reaching into the pocket of his jeans. "That always seems to cheer me up…"

Rose shook her head, "Al _no_. After last night… Nothing but water, from here until…Christmas!"

He narrowed his eyes, "I didn't realize you had become such a _pygmy_ …Getting sick at a party after coming down off _Moonstone_ …I barely felt it. Luckily I met some Italian dryads who were more than happy to give-"

Rose felt her breath catch.

"-You said _moonstone? That's_ what we took last night? Isn't that the main ingredient in-"

She stopped herself. She was never a wiz at any sort of potion-ry, but any witch over the age of fourteen could tell you the stock-list for a _love potion_.

"-Amortentia, yes. Can you _believe_ they used to let students brew that in school? I think my father might have made a batch or two - _in class."_

Rose gave a world class performance in the following moments, of someone whose heart wasn't splintering into tiny, shattered fragments and whose mind wasn't wrapping around an obvious but crashing solution.

 _Of course_ they had taken a love potion- or some diluted version of one. There was no other way of describing the terrifying urgency and stolen glances that the two had shared. Everything had felt so heightened, so beautifully out of control. Now, it all made sense.

The way his silvery eyes had lit-up upon seeing her. The way the curve of his lips parted upon saying her name _"Rose…"._ The way they both had been pulled, quite on their own accord.

She did not need to beg him to forget her. She was already forgotten. She did not need him to give her up. She wasn't his to give. She did not need to push away the tempting thought of his beguiling hands laced through hers. They would never belong. Never.

She pushed all of this away in a moment, relishing in the minuscule feeling of relief that accompanied her epiphany. They could go on like normal. She could live without him. She could live without him. _She could live without him._

 _Couldn't she?_

"Hey-", Al's voice was soft. Maybe her performance wasn't so award-winning. "You're fine. Sorry for calling you a pygmy. We don't need to drink… _I_ won't even touch the stuff. At least until we've landed."

All she could send him was a small smile.

He was silent for a moment, still believing Rose was mad at him for the pygmy comment. She let him.

The plane shook suddenly, bringing Rose back to reality. Her stomach turned, but she appreciated the escape from the harrowing realities of her own mind. She gripped the armrest even tighter, closing her eyes again.

"Remember that song your dad used to sing to us kids?", Al asked, nudging her slightly. "The one about the birds in the candy tree?"

Rose grimanced, "Al- Not right now…"

"Come on, it'll make you feel better."

"Al, no! _Please._ "

" _Ohhhh, we're on the way…_

 _We're on the way_

 _We're on the way to the Candy Tree_

 _We're on the way, we're on the way_

 _We're on the way to the Candy Tree_

 _In the candy tree there is a Blimey Bird_

 _The Bird… It makes a sound like this-"_

He paused, looking at Rose expectantly

"Fuck-off…", she sighed, through gritted teeth.

Al cackled, " _The Bird… It makes a sound like this- Fuck-off!"_

" _Ohhhh, we're on the way…_

 _We're on the way_

 _We're on the way to the Candy Tree_

 _We're on the way, we're on the way_

 _We're on the way to the Candy Tree"_

She couldn't help it. A small smile broke out on her face.

" _In the candy tree there is a Rubbish Rat_

 _The Rat… It makes a sound like this-"_

She couldn't help it still. She began to laugh. Really laugh.

Then her laughter, made him really laugh. Soon they were cackling like children in the back of the plane. For a moment, she forgot where they were. She was sat in her grandmothers garden, dancing around with her father and favorite cousin like lunatics.

 _"_ Oh, Al…" sighed Rose, her fragile laughter subsiding, slightly.

She looked at him, taking in his person with a strange sort of reverence. He had been such a constant presence in her life -she truly couldn't imagine it without him.

There was a fear with Albus that nestled deep, deep down inside of her. One she carried as a melancholic belief in the core of who she was, but one that seemed much more treacherous with her moody and flippant cousin.

In some way or another, she feared he would leave her.

Maybe that's why she put up with so much from him; why she coddled and cared for him. If he left, what would she have left of the fragmented pieces of her youth.

"What am I going to do without you?", she sighed, looking at him softly.

He furrowed his brow, looking at her with confusion, "What do you mean? You'll always have me, Rosie."

"You mean it?", she said, looking at him again.

"It's you and me against the world.", He said plainly, shimmying back into his seat, "It's always been that way and it always will be."

She sighed again, watching as he went back on his earlier sentiment and poured himself a glass of something potent.

His sentiment filled her with slight relief. She _would_ always have Albus. But as she watched him down drink after drink as the flight progressed, she feeling inspired a growing unease.

—-

" _I need you to come straight to the office once you've departed the plane. I've already sent a car over for you."_ Tom's voice was filled with impatience. They were meant to arrive hours earlier and he was a _very_ busy man -so Rose was often told.

"Tom, we've only just landed. If you want I can have the boys take a car while I-"

"-Not the point, _darling_.", he cut in, " _You're_ the one I want our producer to meet with. We need to get going on this album. He's going to be taking some responsibility off your plate and I want to make sure you two are on the same page-"

Rose felt a slight deadening in her chest. She knew the _producer_ types like the back of her hand. Young, pompous, name-dropping, money-makers. They were often only there to churn out hits- rarely caring about the authenticity of the music.

She sighed, knowing it was her own foley that had gotten her into this situation. Tom had given her more than enough time. Now, she going to pay for it.

"We'll head over as soon as we can", she acquiesced. "We're all looking forward to meeting with the new executive."

"I should _hope_ so…", he cut. Rose could tell he was not in the mood to play nice.

"We'll see you soon. Bye To-"

He had hung up on her before she could end the call.

The conversation with Tom had left a bit of a dampening on her already dreary mood. However, the second Rose stepped off the plane, she felt something shift within her. The sun of the May afternoon was warm and light winds picked up the hairs framing her face. She could _swear_ she could smell the ocean, even though she knew they were miles inland.

Excitement she hadn't felt in a long time, began to creep through her. They were in _America._ She had really done it. She had really, _really_ done it. She closed her eyes, taking in a solitary breath.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Scorpius looking at her; his face eternally unreadable. He opened his mouth, as if to say something to her, but she turned away. She did not want to soil the moment.

She knew, deep down inside, it would only be a moment.

Angele was prancing down the tarmac.

" _Start spreading the news"_ , her earthy accent rolling over the theatrical lyrics, _"I'm leaving today"_

Mina was quick to follow behind her,

"Wrong state, darling-", she snapped, exasperatedly, "Miss Weasley!"

Rose turned. Her moment was over.

"Angele is running late for a photoshoot. We will meet you at the house after your meeting with Tom, and head over to rehearsal."

Rose frowned, "I thought you were coming to the meeting as well.."

"I think Tom wants to have this talk with _just_ you", said Mina, the corners peaking in her signature not-smile. "Have fun!"

 _Yes,_ Rose thought, hoisting a suitcase up and placing a pair of sunglasses over two _very_ tired eyes, _The moment was definitely over._

—

They arrived at Weird Sisters Records in such a state of blinding chaos, Rose felt practically winded upon opening the glossy white doors and stepping into the large, sparkling entry way.

Leaving the airport had been a mess. They had been recognized immediately; something Rose was not anticipating. Press in England were docile deer compared to the ravenous ferocity of paparazzi in Los Angeles.

" _Mr. Potter! What's your stance on recreational drugs?"_

" _Malfoy, Malfoy! What's the status of your relationship with Angele? Are you two sexually active?"_

" _Miss Weasley- Rose! How do you feel about being dumped for a french pop-star? Have you started dating again?"_

" _Do you like burgers?"_

" _Where are you staying?"_

" _How does your father feel about this?"_

" _Favorite sex position?"_

" _Who are you voting for?"_

" _Are you happy to be here in Los Angeles?_

" _Give us a smile."_

By the time they got in the car and began slamming their way through LA traffic, Rose had a splitting headache and an unfortunate curiosity in regards to some intimate details of a certain blonde sitting in the Prius behind her. She quickly nipped _that_ in the bud. The _last_ thing on planet earth she should be concerning herself with was the sexual positioning of anyone -let alone Scorpius Malfoy.

Tom met them in the lobby. He was full of smiles, thankfully. It seemed the impatience from the earlier phone call was tampered in light of their presence. He began to chatter away with Albus, talking the usual industry talk. _Flight this, appearance that…_ Rose was thankful for the momentary reprieve.

The building was impressive; nine floors, all the same glossy white and silver. Moving pictures aligned the lengthy hallways. Performances, recording sessions, award shows. The whole of it was a little overwhelming to Rose.

They reached the end of a large walkway. Tom pushed through two massive double doors, bringing them into a recording booth, carpeted in soft white fur.

There was a man leant over a mixing board. He had headphones on, tinkering with levels and adjusting knobs. Rose steeled herself, ready for what she would have to endure at the hands of this new _American_ executive. She felt herself grimace before she could help it.

"Gentlemen… _Rose_ ", Tom's voice stirred the workings of the man at the board. He turned. "May I introduce you to Ira Klein…"

Rose was unprepared for the large smile and hearty handshake that accompanied Ira's grand moniker. He was _not_ what she expected at all.

Ira Klein was not a tall man, but he carried himself with an air that was so warm and inviting, Rose barely noticed that the two of them were practically eye to eye upon shaking hands.

His teeth were white and aligned in that beautifully artificial way most Americans had theirs arranged. It made Rose want to firmly clamp her mouth over her less-than perfect pearly whites. He was not handsome in the classical sense. His ears were much too large and his nose left a bit to be desired, but he was impeccably dressed and there was something about his eyes, and the way they peaked at the corners, that made you feel…safe.

"Ira's been an excellent addition to WSR", Tom rattled on, while Ira went shaking hands down the line of visitors, "He's had just about every job you can imagine in the industry- producing, scouting, writing; he managed _The Felicis Four_ back in their early days."

Rose raised her brow with impress. Her schoolmates had plastered their shared dorm back at school in posters of the band in question. They were wildly successful; being one of the first magical boybands to come to any sort of acclaim. Ronnie Jett, arguably the most handsome and talented of the four, went on to have an even larger success as a soloist. He was still making music to this day.

"-Just until Ronnie left the band to go solo.", Ira cut in, matter-of-factly. His voice was lower than she expected, lilted with a brassy accent she attributed to somewhere other than the easy Californian cadence she was used to. "We were pals back in school, so it made sense. Managing anything, a band no less, is no easy feat."

He looked at Rose and smiled knowingly, "I'm sure Rose here, knows all about that…"

She chuckled, "Well… there are good days and bad da-"

"Didn't you have your own little musical venture at some point?", cut in Tom, looking at Ira as if he already knew the answer.

Ira groaned in pained affect, " _Oh Tom_ …not in front of my new friends. I still want them to find me cool…"

"You had a band?", Rose inquired, her curiosity piqued, "When you were in school?"

"Yes, it was a very impressive venture.", he laughed, "Some might even call our success ' _nonexistent'"_

"Oh, tell them the name.", Tom delighted, "That's the best part."

There was a pause. Ira sighed.

" _Ilver-Horny."_

"Wow. That's bloody brilliant.", Albus spoke, reaching out to jovially shake Ira's hand again, "Is it too late to change _our_ name, Rosie?"

"Sorry", Rose said through giggles, " _Ilver-horny_ is out of the question."

Marty was loving it, "Please tell me the bandis still out there, playin' gigs. Oh, I'd do anything to buy an _Ilver-Horny_ t-shirt."

"Unfortunately, no", sighed Ira, his eyes creasing in that same warm way. " _Ilver-horny_ was… _forcefully_ disbanded when our bassist got a bit too carried away with merchandising and charmed our school crest to display the band name."

"Oh, that's _so_ brilliant", cried Albus.

"Only, Andrew was rubbish at charms, so the crest only read ' _Horny'_. They couldn't change it back for three weeks."

Marty and Albus howled with laughed. Rose decided in that moment, she rather liked Ira Klein.

Scorpius was surprisingly silent.

"So, all that to say.", Tom brought the conversation back around, once the boys laughter had subsided. "Ira's here to help. You especially, Rose. He knows what your job entails, so hopefully you two can find a way to make some magic happen, and get started on that album because we're all a little frus-"

"-I'm really impressed with your catalog.", Ira cut in, turning to Rose, "You've got a lot of really good instincts when it comes to crafting songs. I'm excited to work with that."

Rose turned red, finding it hard to stomach the compliment.

"Thank…you.", she said, wrinkling her nose. She could have _sworn_ she heard a small scoff coming from the group of boys next to her.

"If you're free tonight, we should grab a drink.", Ira beamed, "Tom said this is your first time in Los Angeles. I'd love to show you around. We can chart out a plan. Get a roll on the album…"

Rose was caught off guard by the offer.

"Oh- Shoot. Tonight, we have rehearsal and it's going to run late. This will be our first run-through in the states. I'm sure you understan-"

"-Mina can handle the boys for one evening.", Tom pounced, "I'll let her know. This is more important."

Rose stammered, "No- Tom. It's not-"

" _I insist._ "

Rose could tell he meant business.

"Okay- Yes.", she said, smiling at Ira. "I'd love to."

"Amazing.", he said, giving her a small wink, "I'll pick you up at 6."

Rose was lying if she didn't notice the clenched fist and stone-cold expression of the tallest, blondest member of the band.

—-

The house they were put up in for the week was the most luxurious and massive establishment WSR had booked for them in their career thus far. It could have housed a small army. The ceilings were high with massive windows looking out over the ocean.

Rose gasped upon entering; her eyes going immediately towards the wide, expansive back yard. A large, turquoise pool of water sat situated near a set of steps that led directly to down to the ocean below.

"Albus!", she cried, the rest of the group had slowly began filling into the home. "Come look at this!"

Al was impressed.

"Wow…", he said, upon looking at the pool, "I truly _adore_ being famous…"

Rose could only roll her eyes.

She had minuscule amounts of time to get ready for the evening ahead of her. Fortunately, she had little time to obsess over whether or not her attire was Los Angeles appropriate.

She walked down the stairs, just as Albus, Scorpius and Marty were getting ready to leave as well.

"Oh, I see someone cleaned up nicely for our little American adventure!", Albus cheered, as she went about, clacking awkwardly in her heels.

"Shut-up!", she snapped. "I'm already frazzled as it is. I don't need you giving me a hard time."

Albus cackled, "Aww, is someone _nervous_ for her date with the producer?"

She scowled at him, "Not a date. A dinner."

"Dinner _date_.", he said, snottily peaking his head out through the blinds to check on Ira's ETA.

"Every interaction I have with a male is not a date, _Albus PotterI."_

" _Ooh,_ the last name comes out.", He laughed, looking back at her "She must be really nervous, lads!"

Rose had only a moment to see Scorpius launch from his seated position and march towards the stairs above. She heard a loud _slam_ of a door.

It seems she was the only one who noticed.

"I see sports car!", cried Albus, the excitement in his voice inciting an eye-roll from Rose. " _Classic_ sports car. The mans got money, Lucky girl."

The car in question honked. Rose could see Ira make his way out of a cherry-red sports car and head to the front.

She smacked her cousin on the arm. "You need to chill out. And _please_ stay out of trouble while I'm gone."

"I promise!", He sighed, exasperatedly. "Now, go write us an album. Go smooch a producer!"

"Albus!", she cried, yanking the door open to get outside as quickly as possible.

"Have fun on your… _date."_ Was the last thing she heard before stepping outside.

The second Rose closed the doors of the luxurious home behind her and spotted Ira waiting by the car out front, she realized -with panic- that she was getting drinks with a man she barely knew in a city she was completely blind to.

She took in her dress and shoes, his suit and tie, his fancy car…

She was so completely foreign to the social ritual she was about to embark on, she didn't realize what the accoutrement of the next few hours would amount to. A date?

 _Holy shit, was she going on a date?_

'No no…', she mumbled to herself, feeling entirely silly. Albus didn't know what he was talking about. This was professional. He was sent by Tom to help with the album. This is by no means a date. A work outing- yes. Not a date.

When she arrived to the car, Ira was eyeing her with amusement.

"Everything alright? You looked a little hesitant on your way out…"

She laughed, weakly. "Oh- No… I was just worried I had forgotten…my keys."

He bit his lip, closing the door as she slid into the seat.

They drove in silence for a moment. Rose could sense herself growing slightly anxious.

"I like your car.", she said, feeling the leather of the seat with her fingers, "I don't think I've ever seen anything like it before…"

"No classic automobiles in the UK?", he joked, smiling at her.

"None whatsoever.", she quipped, her sardonic nature taking over. "We trash all our vehicles after a decade. Buckingham Palace is simply just a large pile of old cars."

Ira laughed, his hand hitting the steering wheel lightly.

"But no- my dad actually _loved_ classic cars…", Rose said, looking out at the passing palm trees. "He was much more loyal to the English manufacturers, however."

"Ah- so a bit of a nationalist…", Ira teased.

"Very much so…", laughed Rose, beginning to feel a bit more at ease, "My grandfather owned an old Ford Anglia-"

"- _Very_ nationalist"

"-Until my father hijacked it and drove it straight into an enchanted -well, more like _cursed_ \- tree while he was at Hogwarts…"

"What'd he do _that_ for?"

"He was late for school…", mused Rose, softly.

Ira chuckled, "That's awesome…"

"Does Ilvermorny have any bewitched foliage?", she asked, enjoying the banter, "Maybe a Passive-Aggressive Palm Tree?"

Ira laughed even harder, "No, nothing that exciting. We did have a large statue of a Pukwudgie that liked to shriek at random."

"I'm sorry, a _what?",_ she cried.

"Pukwudgie?", Ira smirked, "Oh, thats on a need-to-know basis…"

Rose nodded with a slight chuckle. He had a surprisingly calming energy to him that she found she enjoyed.

"So, your dad. How does he feel about Ford Anglia's now? More of a Rolls Royce kind of guy?", Ira continued, jovially.

"Oh-", Rose faltered, awkwardly. It was so rare, especially in her circle, she would ever have to explain to someone exactly _why_ her father had no present opinion on…anything. "He's uh- Well he's…"

Ira brought a hand to his face; his eyes widening with horror. "Oh geez. _Shit._ I know- I knew that. I'm so sorry…"

Rose shook her head, "It's completely fine… I wouldn't assume anyone would know-"

"-Sorry… I think I… forgot who you were.", he stumbled, "I mean- I guess, I forgot _who_ you were."

Rose winced, giving him a small smile "…It's funny. I actually find it sort of refreshing when that happens… It sometimes seems like people know more about my life than I even do…"

He nodded. They rode in silence for a moment more; the croon of the radio coming in softly.

"-I'm no-maj -uh muggle born, you see.", he supplied, breaking the silence. "I'd never heard about Harry Potter… _or_ your dad till I was at least eleven."

"Really?", Rose exclaimed, "I can't imagine what that must be like… My mums muggle-born, but she's been wizard for so long, she barely remembers life before school…"

"It's wild, honestly.", Ira sighed, "And kind of lonely.. in a way. I'm from Brooklyn originally -large, Jewish family. They didn't take easily to their youngest son getting letters to be whisked off to a strange castle in a forest, to learn 'magic tricks'…"

Rose snorted, "No…That doesn't make the wizarding-community come across very well."

"Boarding school is sort of unheard of here…", Ira continued, "But, it was either bake challah bread for the rest of my life, or take my chances learning 'magic tricks' in Michigan…"

"Whats _challah bread_?"

Ira blanched, " _What's challah bread_? Oh my god… You poor girl. I bet you've never even had baklava…"

"Another one of those need-to-know things?", she said, rolling her eyes.

"Exactly…", he said, flashing her a quick smile.

"How do they feel about you being a wizard, now?", she broached, somewhat fascinated.

Ira made an unsure hum, "Well, we try not to get into details… As long as I'm able to make a sizable donation to the East Midtown Jewish Center every month, and show-up for an occasional Sunday brunch, they don't seemed pressed for more information."

"Oh, maybe that might work on _my_ family…" mused Rose, wondering what life would be like if no one in her family _ever_ pressed for more information than was necessary.

Ira laughed, "Does your mother feel like _converting_?"

Rose looked again out the window, slightly mesmerized by the expanse of wide roads and incongruent buildings; all mashed together and colorful.

"Where exactly are we going?", she asked, almost absently.

"Oh, I have a few places in mind.", said Ira, bouncing slightly in his seat. "Are you partial to sushi?"

Rose laughed, "I haven't had much sushi, to be honest. Al is allergic to shellfish, and we usually work around what he wants…"

Ira nodded, "Understood…"

"I approve of sushi… As long as it's going to inspire us to push out a good album…fast.", she rambled, "I'm sorry it's taking so long- by the way. The new tour schedule has been _so_ insane, we're all adjusting. So, I appreciate-"

"-Hey…", Ira glanced at her briefly, the corners of his eyes crinkling in that way Rose was growing fond of, "We're not going to talk about the album tonight."

"Oh-", said Rose. Her surprise was genuine.

"I don't want to assume-", he said, moving the large steering wheel left, curving the car around a large bend in the road. "-But I've been where you're at. I've done the crazy tour, I've had a label grabbing at my ankles every chance they could get. I've managed ego's and smoothed scandals…"

Rose winced again. Hearing the reality of her job repeated back to her, so clearly, felt a little bit like someone was looking at her under a microscope.

"-And I know,", Ira continued, "The last thing in the world I needed when all of this was happening, was some detached executive talking my ear off over drinks at some trendy bar on Sunset…"

"Oh..", said Rose, lamely. It was all she could say. She couldn't argue. She couldn't begin to counter. Everything he said was so accurate. _Too accurate._

Ira sensed her reprieve in speech.

"So!", he continued, winding them further through a dimly lit residential neighborhood, "I figured, the best thing I can do as part of your management team is give you some space to breath. All I can offer _now_ is one evening… But hopefully- it can do more in terms of creativity than me talking statistics all night…"

Rose didn't know what to say. She was so caught off guard by his compassion. It had been a long time since someone had given her the option -nay the _permission-_ to do absolutely nothing.

"If you want to sit in complete silence this evening, we can do that…", Ira teased, looking her way again.

Rose was taken out of her stupor, "No, no! I'm sorry. I just don't know what to say… That- That's so kind of you. I feel- I don't know how I feel. I'm quite taken aback…"

"Like I said-", Ira brushed off, "I've been where you're at. It's not easy. You're a full time babysitter, essentially, and running a business at the same time."

"Ouch…", laughed Rose, shaking her head.

"It's true! You can't deny it…", He laughed, "Someone's either too drunk, or missing a passport, or avoiding a girlfriend, or heartbroken…"

Rose's mind flashed suddenly to memories from the evening prior, her miserable frame curled into pathetic tears.

" _Ouch…",_ she said softly, the word escaping her lips before she could stop it.

Ira turned, his brow raised, "Oh? Did I hit a sore spot there? Was it the heartache or the bit about the passport?"

Rose shook her head vigorously, laughing slightly "No, no! There's nothing. Nothing at all. We definitely don't need to go down that road…"

Ira made a slight sound of amusement.

"Speaking of _roads!",_ Rose launched, wanting to move the conversation away from any notion of heartache, " _Where_ are we going?"

They had been curving through a neighborhood littered with tiny homes, all nestled behind growing greenery and explosions of purple and pink bougainvillea. The pink of the setting sun was littering through the fences and power lines, giving everything surrounding a blush mosaic.

"Alright.", sighed Ira, coming to a stop near a litter of parked cars. "I'm going to be honest…"

Rose tensed.

"I have a bit of an ulterior motive tonight", He said, tentatively.

"Oh…Is that so?", said Rose, lightly; attempting to keep an anxious tremor out of her voice. Her mind flashed to Albus's earlier sentiments.

' _Have fun on your date, Rosie Posie'_

If they weren't going to talk about the album, what _were_ they going to talk about? What exactly did he mean by 'ulterior motive'? She felt a pang of panic begin to race through her chest.

Fortunately, it seemed as if he could read her thoughts.

"Oh geez", he said, his eyes widening, "I'm making a real ass of myself tonight, aren't I? I didn't mean _that_ by- Oh man… I'm uh- Rose. You're a lovely girl, but you aren't exactly my type…"

Her brow furrowed.

"In terms of gender…"

She couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Oh, thank _merlin_ …", she sighed. "Albus was convinced this had been orchestrated for… romantic purposes"

Ira gave her a knowing look, and turned off the car. "Well, Albus is an idiot. No. This is date in so much that two _very_ charming and _very_ lovely people are grabbing a bite to eat and commiserating about work, but that is all. I also don't appreciate the idea of _tricking_ someone into going out with you…"

"Well, like you said, Albus is an idiot. And is probably forever stunted in terms of romance.", Rose sighed, "No thanks to me…"

Ira rolled his eyes. "Lets get out. I have something to show you. And _just for the record_ , it's not in or related to romance in any shape or form."

Rose snorted, getting out of the car and walking with him down a slightly worn path.

"What about murder?", she nudged, "Have we ruled out that possibility? This back-alley hike is a tiny bit serial-killer."

"This is show-biz, darling.", he played along, giving her a grin. "Murder is _never_ off the table"

—-

The path, in question, led to a small clearing; the whole of it overlooking a wide expanse of hills and valleys. The view was breath-taking. Clusters of buildings popped up like doll-houses, deep greens and yellows peppering the spaces between. The setting sun glittered off the tiny, winding roads; cars moving below like lazy ants.

Rose went straight to the railing, her eyes wide.

"Oh wow…", she sighed, holding up an hand to shield her eyes from the sun. There were a few other people around; taking pictures and laughing. Rose felt it only added to the simplicity of the moment.

Ira came-up beside her.

"LA is…simultaneously so ugly, and so breathtaking.", he mused. "I think that's my favorite thing about it. This view might be nothing tomorrow; gray skies and smog. But right now- it's perfect."

Rose could only nod. She took a deep breath, inhaling a mix of earthy smoke and orange blossoms.

"If you want to murder me, Ira, I think now would be as good a time as any.", she sighed, closing her eyes and taking in another deep breath.

He chuckled, "You're making this too easy."

"Hmm?"

"My ulterior motive. You're making this too easy for me", he smiled, "I'm trying to get you to fall for this city! I thought we'd at least have to get you some _carnitas en su jugo."_

" _Carn-what-as?"_

"Ignoring that.", he laughed, "But I show you _one_ view and you're already head over heels. I can see it on your face."

Rose could only smile.

"Why do you want me so in love with this city, anyways?", she asked after a moment.

He cocked his head from side to side, sifting through ways of revealing his secret.

"Well…", he said slowly, "I want you to come work for me…"

Rose opened her mouth, no words formed.

"I know.", he said, leaning against the railing, as if he felt guilty for even asking, "I know it'd be a complete one-eighty on your life, but I, selfishly…really want you on my team. I've been aware of your work for awhile now. I said it back at the office, but I think you're insanely talented…"

Rose couldn't begin to comprehend the carousel of feelings that were beginning to spin within her. Work for WSR? Move to America? Move to _Los Angeles?_

"Holy shit…", she breathed, leaning against the railing as well.

"-And _just so you know_.", Ira said, "This isn't an offer that's now or never. I understand if you need time to think about it…"

She felt a heavy sigh leave her body, "What- What would I even be doing? What would my job entail?"

Ira smiled, the warm eye-crease returning, "You'd be writing…"

She was shocked, "That's all?"

"You'd be a full-time writer…", he said softly, "No traveling, no managing. I want you working with WSR's talent, helping them craft music that feels authentic to their artistry."

"You're joking…", she choked out, shaking her head with disbelief.

"I don't think you realize what a gift you've got, Rose.", Ira said quietly, but earnestly, "You're an excellent manger, there's no doubt about that, but my guess is you don't love it as much as you think you do…"

Rose opened her mouth again, at a loss for words.

"-I hope that doesn't come across as rude, I just feel like you're wasting potential-"

"-What, being a _babysitter_?", she challenged, feeling slightly uneasy at his calculations of her.

"-Yeah, _exactly_ being a babysitter.", he said, nodding. "I've _been_ there. I've been exactly where you are."

"And, that is?"

"Stuck.", he said, matter-of-factly. "Stuck. By obligation or fear or… _I don't know_ , Stockholm Syndrome."

Rose gasped, but laughed in spite of herself, "You make my life sound _horrible_."

"I know it's not horrible, Rose.", he sighed, "But you have _no_ idea the kind of life you could have out here…"

She was silent, looking again out on the deep orange and magenta painted hills.

"I just want you to imagine, for a moment…", Ira began, "We're up here. You're looking out on this insane view, and the only thing you have waiting for you when you get back is a deadline for a single song. No shows…No crews… No interviews… No _shellfish_ … No press… No one to push to get up early… No one to force to shower because they've been on a three-day bender… No groupies… Just you…"

Rose did imagine. She thought about how tired she was, how stressed she was, how she could barely sleep, barely eat. She thought about not waking up every morning to shout itineraries and pack suitcases. She thought about Mina's words. She thought about Scorpius's eyes…

The thought; leaving it -all of it- tore in a way she couldn't describe.

"I can see you're taking this very seriously.", Ira cut in through her thinking, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I _do_ want tonight to be a break for you, and I can't have you having an existential crisis in my company, so we don't have to talk about it."

She nodded.

"Just know, the offer is there for you. In one year, in _twenty years_. Whenever you're ready, I'll take that mind of yours and exploit it for all it's worth."

He laughed heartily at Rose's slightly horrified expression.

"A joke!"

Rose shook her head again, inhaling deeply the woodsy, floral air.

"It's by _no means_ a perfect city…", Ira chimed, "Traffic is terrible, all anyone does is _exercise,_ there's absolutely no viable means of public transportation…it's 6 dollars for a latte!"

Rose couldn't help but laugh, again.

"But, I was at my whits-end 10 years ago…", his eyes were earnest, "And I wish someone had come to me saying ' _Here, leave it behind. What's ahead of you is so much better'…_ Like I'm doing for you now."

"Ira, I-", Rose began, shaking her head.

"-But that's not what tonight is about! I won't mention a single thing more. We're done talking about it. In front of us is a metaphorical table", he widened and expanded his palms in front of the two of them, and mimed placing something delicately down, "And right here is my offer… I'm giving it to you, and walking away. It's yours to do as you please…"

She sighed, smiling at the gesture.

"And, here is me…", she artfully grabbed his metaphorical present and placed it in her open bag, "Taking note."

"And that's all I can really ask for…", Ira acquiesced, placing his hands in his pockets and nodding back towards the car. "Shall we?"

True to his word, Ira did not mention the offer that stood between the two of them as their evening progressed. Rose found herself enjoying his company truly as a friend. He had so much knowledge about the industry, and he was turning to be someone with an ease and charm that exuded towards everyone they interacted with.

From the street vendor; grilling chunks of pineapple to place on _al pastor_ tacos, to the valet; excited to drive a car as enticing as Ira's, they were all met with a friendly handshake and genuine interest.

Rose had a brief notion of how nice it might be to have a friend like him, in a city like this.

" _So_ _Ronnie's up on stage, so cranked on pepper-up, that he legitimately can't stop twitching…"_

Ira had made good on his promise of sushi. They were sat at a booth, drinking sake and swapping nightmare stories. Rose found all of it _very_ cathartic.

"He's twitching so much, he can't actually play. His hands won't work.", Ira cried, seizing up his fingers to demonstrate, "So, I end-up having to pull a full-on _Singing In The Rain_ , and play all of his solo's for him backstage, behind the curtain…"

" _Merlin's beard_!", Rose exclaimed, "I hope it never comes to _that_ with us. I'm a terrible musician."

Ira shook his head, the tips of his cheeks were tinged pink with all the sake they had been drinking. "Ronnie always managed put me through the ringer… Especially when we were young…"

"Sure sounds like it…", Rose sighed, pouring the two of them another round of the rice beverage.

"But I think he's sober now…", Ira said, absently rubbing the back of his neck. "I imagine that's what's keeping him out of trouble these days…"

"Do you two not talk anymore?", Rose was suddenly curious.

"Well-no…", Ira said, slowly, " _No._ No is the real answer. We haven't spoken in almost a decade…"

Rose was surprised by the glimpse of something she saw come over Ira's face.

"Oh?", she said, raising a brow. She had an inkling there was more to the story.

Ira shook his head, "No, no. That's not worth getting into…"

But he had already given too much away.

"No, _no_!", Rose said, giving him a pointed look, "There's more to this. I can tell. If you and I are going to…"

She paused for added effect.

"- _Work_ together…I need to know more about you. Your little _falling out_ with Mr. Jett is something of importance. Spill it."

"There's nothing to tell.", Ira said, grabbing the large bottle of sake from her.

Rose gasped, "You _liar_."

"Are you really bartering your potential employment status on me revealing to you why I stopped managing Felicis Four?", he dragged, the hint of a smile on his face.

"Oh, so there's a _reveal_?", laughed Rose.

Ira sighed, "God damnit."

"I'm not going to work for you just because you spill a secret…", Rose admitted, with a roll of her eyes. "But you should spill the secret anyways."

"Finish your sake and then we'll see."

" _Ira Klein_ , are you trying to get me drunk?", she cried, already picking up the tiny ceramic glass.

" _Just_ drunk enough to agree to abandon your family and friends and get paid a shit-ton of money to write music for me.", he winked, clinking his glass against hers.

The two of them downed their shots. Rose have him an expectant look.

"Alright.", he sighed, pushing a mop of hair back into place, "Ronnie and I were friends - _mates_ , as you call them- back in school. He was, perhaps, my _best-mate_ at one point. We spent summers together, went on trips together… His family felt like my own…"

"Hmm…", mused Rose, placing her head in a rested palm.

"We…got famous. Well, _he_ got famous.", Ira sighed, absently picking up the set of chopsticks to his right. "He just got really full of… Well, you get it. We were working on a third record, working really hard on it, actually. And he came to me…"

Ira paused.

"He came to me, saying he wanted to go solo. He was done with the band, done with getting one-fourth of the attention…"

Rose widened her eyes. She couldn't imagine what that must feel like.

"I realized…", Ira continued, playing with an abandoned bit of wasabi left on his plate, "Well, I realized that in all this time, I thought I wanted success for the band, wanted them to grow and develop… Sell more albums, make more money…"

Rose nodded; urging him along.

"…But, all I really wanted- was Ronnie."

Rose sighed, " _Oh…_ "

Ira's disposition changed suddenly. He leaned slight closer to her, his voice lowering to just above a whisper.

"And Rose…", he said, looking at her in earnest, "The craziest thing… is that _he_ wanted me too. We- we were…for a moment."

Her eyes became the size of saucers, " _No…"_

He nodded emphatically, almost as if he too was astonished by the fact.

"I hadn't come out yet… He hadn't- _Still_ hasn't.", His voice became soft; far away, "We had a month. One beautiful… perfect month where nothing mattered. We went to Bali…hid from paparazzi, ignored phone calls…"

Rose grimaced, anticipated the falter in the narrative.

"Then, it hit him.", Ira sighed, his voice still low. "What the reality of _us_ would mean. Not just for himself, but for his career…"

"He was convinced he would lose all his fans if they knew…"

Rose cried, "But that's insane. Even back then, being _gay_ wasn't something someone would end a career over…"

Ira just looked at her, "I think it was more than that. But that's what he told himself."

Rose felt her heart ache for her new friend. It ached because a part of her connected with his story…In more ways than even she was willing to admit to.

"Within a month he had signed with new management.", Ira continued, "He began running through so many girlfriends, his reputation was sealed as a real _lady-killer_. I haven't seen him since Bali…"

"I'm so sorry, Ira", Rose said softly, "I wish I hadn't bullied you into sharing with me…"

He chuckled, grabbing the sake bottle and pouring the two of them another round. They silently clinked their glasses and began drinking.

"It's fine", said Ira, suddenly, "To make up for it, you're going to tell me which one of _your_ Golden Trio that you're harboring amorous feelings for."

Rose almost choked on her drink.

" _Excuse me_?", she cried, making sure to keep her voice at a reasonable volume, due to their current setting. "That's a very bold assumption."

"My guess is it's _not_ the cousin…Although, I'm not one to judge if it _is_. I can understand why you've kept it under wraps.", he mused, idly.

Rose felt her insides churn at the thought, "Of _course_ it's not Albus. That's beyond disgusting."

"So, it _is_ one of them then?"

She clamped her mouth shut.

"The little drummer boy seems too…absent for someone of your taste", he went on, smiling lightly, "My guess is…the moody blonde? The one who wouldn't make eye-contact with me earlier today, but gripped my hand so hard during our handshake that I thought I was going to lose circulation…"

"He did _not._ ", she sighed, placing a finger and thumb at her temples.

"I thought the man was going murder me", he laughed, "I couldn't figure out what I had done to offend him so…"

Rose groaned.

"…Then I realized I was asking his… _sweetheart_ out for drinks, and it made a bit more sense."

She narrowed her eyes, "Well, that's where your wrong, Ira. There is nothing of the sort between the two of us. He's actually dating A-"

"Angele? Our french friend from overseas? Who's conveniently signed to _our_ label and touring with _your_ band?"

Rose was silent.

"Now, was that _Tom's_ idea or yours?", he inquired, a knowing grin playing on his lips.

Her eyes narrowed further.

"I'm not managing the band because I'm in _love_ with Scorpius Malfoy"

Ira chuckled, "I don't blame you. He's _very_ talented and very, _very_ handsome."

"Ira-", she cried, smacking a hand on the table.

"-Then why _are_ you doing it?", his voice raised; verging on intensity. "Because I know it's damn well not because of the money. Or the prestige."

"I'm doing it because I enjoy being a part of their success!", she countered, "Because it's rewarding watching their triumphs, and being able to make that happen."

"-And what if we took Scorpius out of the question?", Ira countered back, his brow raised, "What if tomorrow, he was gone; replaced by an equally talented and equally handsome musician? How would you feel about your work?"

Rose opened her mouth to speak, but she could barely put together a rebuttal as the reality of that thought entered her mind. She hated the immediate drop in her stomach. Hated how it twisted with the notion of never seeing his face, or hearing his voice again.

When he spoke, Ira's voice was back to his original softness. "Do you enjoy watching the success, or do you really just love the moments in between?"

He asked it as more of an answer to an unspoken question.

"The late nights?", He leaned in, "The shared jokes… Eating with each other, sleeping next to one another. It's a miracle you two _haven't_ slept together by this point… Unless-"

Rose waved her hands in front of her, "-We've barely ever hugged. It's _nothing_ like that."

"I can't _imagine_ the tension that must be there…"

His words conjured the quickly disintegrating memories from their Moonstone fueled escapade the evening prior. All she had wanted was to touch him, run her fingers through his hair… The notion of her blind lust made her sick to her stomach.

"-There's _nothing_.", she snapped, suddenly; her voice getting hard, "There _has_ to be nothing, okay?"

Ira held his hands up in surrender, understanding he had crossed a line.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry… I got a little too intense there…"

Rose sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. It was so unnerving the way the mere thought of him put her on edge in such a way.

"If I want to come out alive, in one piece…", she looked at Ira, hoping to convey the vast conflict that had begun to rise within her within the last two months, "He _has_ to be nothing to me…"

Ira was silent for a moment, cocking his head from side to side, like he had done earlier in the day; testing what he wanted to say.

"It doesn't seem like…", he started, "It doesn't seem like it's _nothing_ to him."

Rose _dispised_ the heat that ran through her at the thought. She quickly shoved it away

"It's like you said.", she sighed, perhaps speaking more to herself than the man sitting across from her. "It's the thrill of the unknown. We've spent our entire adult lives in each others company- Of _course_ the tension is there. It'd be impossible not to encounter this at some point."

Ira raised a brow, "So you feel the same way about your drummer as well? Martin- is it?"

"Well-", Rose faltered, almost laughing at the thought of any less than platonic feelings arising for Marty.

"So…", Ira gleaned, "I'll take that as a _no_?"

"Marty's like a brother", she cried, "Malfoy's…"

Ira cut in, "I'm fascinated by the fact that you call him by his surname… There's got to be something there. Does he call you _Weasley?_ "

 _Not always…_ Her mind whispered; thinking again of their shared moments.

Her silence gave Ira the answer her wanted.

"What are you trying to prove, anyways?", she asked, throwing a hand in the air. "That I'm wasting my life away, chasing after a tension that may or _may not_ be there?"

"Of course not. You're much too smart for that", said Ira, seriously. "I just want you to really think about what's keeping you around…"

Rose scoffed, "I think you're just projecting…"

"Oh, I'm _definitely_ projecting,", Ira said, cracking a grin. "But it's only because I see tiny pieces of myself in you…"

"Don't worry.", she sighed. "I won't be running away to Bali with _anyone,_ anytime soon."

"Hmm…", mused Ira, "One thing I've learned in this business, is to try and not make promises you can't keep."

Rose rolled her eyes, but she felt the bubbling of a question; much more serious in nature.

"Do you think what you and Ronnie had was just tension?", she asked, after a moment.

Ira did not seem caught off guard by the question. He was silent; figuring out how to answer.

"I think…", he sighed, "I think what we had was love. From the moment we met one another, it was the pure, unadulterated love of friendship. We watched one another grow into men… We cried with one another… I knew things about him that no one else did."

He tapped his fingers lightly against the edge of his beer glass.

"I don't think the…physicality of our relationship was always there. That didn't come until much later… You know, it's hard to even tell looking back on it. Lines between friendship and romance can get blurred so easily. Especially when you share your life with someone like that…"

"Would you..?", Rose questioned, tentatively, "Would you- If Ronnie came back today… And said he was ready to be with you. Would you go to him?"

Ira took in her question thoughtfully.

"I think the thing I miss, r _eally_ …", he said softly, "Is the simplicity of all the memories. So many of my thoughts -so many moments I experienced with the band, and even before that… They've all somehow got his face etched into them. Like, _carved_ so deeply. And even though it's been almost a decade, and I've fallen in and out of love over again and built a really beautiful life for myself…"

His voice turned; almost closer to a whisper.

"I'd do anything to be able to think back on those times and not feel pain. It's small and growing smaller still -but it's still painful… Bali is painful, _Paris_ is painful, hearing songs on the radio…some of them, are still painful…"

Rose felt her back hit the soft leather of the booth. Even though he was speaking about himself, she felt again as if she was being looked at from under s microscope.

"And I know…In my _wise-old_ age", he continued, his voice regaining some of it's brightness, "That him coming back wouldn't take away the pain…It would only make the memories more complicated. _And_ , potentially more painful…"

He looked at her, his mouth twisted to the side as if to say 'W _hat can you do?'_

"So, no?", she ventured, grabbing her own beer.

"No…", he said, shaking his head. "I can't erase my past, but I can manage my future…And my future does _not_ include pop-stars."

Rose let out a heavy breath, "Oh, _cheers_ to that!"

Ira laughed, clinking his bottle lightly against hers.

They were both silent for a spell. Rose, couldn't help a twisting feeling deep in the base of her stomach. Something about their conversation had gotten to her.

"Do you still love him?", she asked, suddenly; her curiosity getting the better of her. She felt his answer may be an omission of an even scarier truth than she was willing to grab onto.

"I do." he sighed, simply "I love him in a way I'll never be able to comprehend…I'll always love him. I know that."

Rose let out a bit of a whimper, putting her head down in front of her. The sake and the conversation were getting to her.

"Not the answer you were hoping for?", Ira chuckled.

She shook her head against the wood of the table.

"I'm not going to tell you how to live your life, seeing as though we've only officially known one another for less than a day.", Ira soothed, "But love is _always_ a gamble."

"…You can't play it safe. With Ronnie- I sometimes wish I had played it safe. But who knows what would have happened. Sometimes we're just meant to crash into one another -us humans…"

She lifted her head up; scrunching her eyes at him, " _What_ are you even saying?"

"Who knows! This is sake brain talking…", Ira laughed, "Just make sure, whatever you do…"

"Follow my heart?"

"No!", he cried, smacking the table once more, "Make sure you find your way back to _me_ , so we can work together!"

Rose snorted, shaking her head.

"No, being serious now.", Ira said, lowering his voice again, "Don't follow your heart. The heart is for psychos… Your gut is much more important."

"So…probiotics?"

"Shush.", he laughed. "Follow your gut. Your gut has gotten you this far, I'd say you should trust it."

She paused, balling her hands into fist and raising them slightly in the air.

"Trusting my gut!", she mock-yelled, banging her fist lightly on the table.

"Trusting her gut!", Ira said, raising his glass yet again.

They drank the last of their sake, both of them indulging in momentary meditation. Rose wanted to feel triumphant, taking Ira's encouragement to heart.

However, silvery eyes and long, alabaster fingers were where her booze clouded mind refused to stop drifting to…

—

Rose had thoroughly enjoyed her evening.

What had begun as an anxiety filled work-obligation, had turned into hours spent crafting a genuine friendship. Her mind was so jam-packed with sentiment and curiosity and the sense of something new and treacherous on the horizon, she barely knew how to feel.

It was late by the time Ira pulled up in front of the house.

Rose was a bit wobbly getting out; still feeling the effects from the evening of drinks.

"Woah-", cried Ira, laughing. "Okay, you need to act straight, missy. I can't have you walking back into that house falling all over yourself. The boys will have me for dinner."

Rose shifted, stifling her laughter, "I'm good, I'm good. I promise."

"You swear?"

"I swear on a Puke-wudgey.", she implored.

Ira smiled, "Pukwudgie."

"Exactly…", she grinned, having fully righted herself.

Ira sighed, his eyes taking on a somewhat somber expression.

"I'm not going to say goodbye, because I know you'll come crawling my way soon."

Rose gasped in mock affect, "Bold to assume-"

"-I also really, _really_ hate goodbyes.", Ira's eyes crinkled. Warm as ever, "Even if you never decide to make your back to Los Angeles for good. Make sure you give me a ring whenever you're in town."

"Of course.", she sighed, looking over at the massive house. The imposing structure felt like a giant metaphor for her life. Luxurious, vast, confusing and filled with people she had become very unsure about recently.

Suddenly, she heard a slight crash come from inside the house.

She closed her eyes, bracing herself.

Ira raised his eyebrows, "Wow- Never before has a sound brought back so many…harrowing memories. I don't envy you at all."

Another crash. Rose winced.

" _Fucking Albus…_ ", she sighed, through gritted teeth.

"Like I said-", Ira said pointedly, grabbing her hand and squeezing it lightly, "Crawling my way soon…Good luck."

She could hear the rev of his engine as she made her way towards the grand entrance. The sounds of growing voices grew louder and louder. _Merlin's beard, she had left them for one evening._

"Hello?", she called upon unlocking the door, "Why do I hear sounds of _chaos_?"

She was entirely unprepared for the scene that was playing out in front of her.

Albus had Scorpius pinned to the ground, a litter of broken bottles was sprayed around them. Scorpius was screaming; his body taut with anger. Albus, surprisingly, seemed to have the upper-hand. Although her cousin was clearly frustrated, it was less as if he was _fighting_ Scorpius and more as if he was _restraining_ him. The whole of it reeked of alcohol, the amber liquid puddling on the floor beneath the two of them.

Marty was doing his best to help, but there was blood pouring out of his nose; his shirt bunched up around his nostrils, staining the fabric bright-red.

"Get the fuck off me, you _bloody rat prick!"_ , Scorpius was shouting at Albus.

Rose had _never_ heard him talk like that.

She whipped her head around. _Where was Mina? Where was Angele?_

"No!", grunted Albus, "You're fucking mental, Scor- You need to calm down! _"_

Rose was sure she had walked into some time loop. _Scorpius_ losing his mind? _Albus_ telling him to calm down.

"What in the _actual hell_ is going on here?", she cried, rushing towards the scene.

Upon hearing a foreign voice, both boys turned to face her. Albus's eyes held genuine fear, something she had rarely seen cross his features. Scorpius just looked at her with _rage_.

"Rose, he's fucking piss drunk.", cried Albus, pushing himself off of Scorpius and backing away towards Marty. "I don't know what's wrong with him…"

Scorpius groaned, laboredly getting up off the floor. He looked _awful_ , worse than Rose had ever seen him. His clothes were stained with booze and a few slight cuts from the glass on the floor.

"He was a _mess_ at rehearsal", Albus continued, "He's been pounding fire-whiskey since we got home… I don't know what's wrong with him!"

Scorpius had brought himself upright, the unease of his gait aiding in the effect of Albus's sentiments. His eyes fell on Rose again.

"H'was your _date?_ ", he spat; casting his eyes up and down at her, "You look nice 'nough…"

"What-", she smarted, her entire being beginning to fill with anger.

"-He _punched_ Mart, Rose!", Albus shouted, pointing at Marty's bloody exterior. "He's fucking mental!"

Scorpius staggered, his eyes shifting to Mart.

"Geezus…Mart- M'sorry", he mumbled, looking down at himself.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Malfoy?", cried Rose, unable to fully comprehend the madness of what she had walked into.

His face scrunched in anger again, "What s'wrong with _you…Weasel?"_

Rose opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She was completely astounded. She had never, in all her life, seen him act so out-of-control.

"Okay", she said, after a moment of reorienting herself. "This is all bullshit. You lot are a bunch of _children_ -"

"-He started it-"

"-Who can't seem to care for themselves for longer than two seconds!", she cried, grabbing her wand out of her bag.

She turned on Scorpius. The only benefit of his intoxicated state being her ability to stare him down directly. Something that normally took a small army of feeling inside of her to keep at bay, now felt palatable. She was too busy feeling _furious_.

"I expect this kind of behavior from _Albus_.", she jabbed, pointing her wand behind her; the shards of glass began to shift, filtering their way into a trashcan on the other side of the room. "But not _you…"_

She saw him visibly wince.

It almost made her feel bad. _Almost._

" _What_ is wrong with you?", she cried, throwing a hand weakly in the air. She walked over to Marty, his nose still bleeding.

"I've been drinking, or I'd stitch you up with a spell…" she sighed, examining the damage. "Come with me to the kitchen and we'll clean it…"

" _Phanks.",_ Marty said, his voice muffled.

She saw Scorpius's eyes scan over her once more; the mood beneath his exterior shifting.

"Oh, S'I can't have fun, now?", He threw his weight into an out-stretched gesture, "You're allowed to have fun… You had fun _tonight_."

"I was doing my _job!"_ , she snapped, sitting Marty down at the kitchen table.

Scorpius moved towards the pair, barely steadying himself on the rise of a countertop.

"So your _job_ is to go around...having drinks with producers?!", he practically slurred.

"Yeah that's part of _my_ job.", she stamped, grabbing a glass from the cupboard and slamming it shut. She turned back to him "I'm keeping _your_ bloody job-"

"-Don't talk to _me_ about _my_ job.", He roared. She had obviously triggered something within him. His eyes were daggers. She felt she _should_ sense some sort of fear, seeing him so worked up. But, it was, strangely, a relief to see his person filled with _anything_ other than the hollow vacancy that had been there as of late. "You have no bloody clue what I go thou-"

"- _Go through_!?", she practically screeched, filling the glass in her hand with water. "I'm the one who's making your career happen, _Malfoy_."

She continued to slam her way through the kitchen; bringing the the glass of water in front of Marty and grabbing the nearest dish towel.

Scorpius was not done. It seemed her arguing was only riling him up. " _Right_ , it's always about what _Weasley_ wants. Everyone listen to Weasley..."

He waved a hand in the air, wildly. Oh, he was _so_ plastered.

"You need to calm down…", she said, her voice like fire.

"Yeah, Scor." Albus piped in; rounding the corner of the kitchen "This is-"

Rose turned to him; the damp dish towel in-hand, pointing towards him in an accusatory manner.

"-Don't _you_ intervene.", she snapped. She had zero patience for Albus. Especially after her earlier conversation with Ira. "This is the pot calling the cauldron black."

She turned to Marty; attempting to carefully clean the caked blood away from his nose whilst her hands were beginning to shake with pent-up anger.

Albus's eyes got wide, looking as if she had just slapped him in the face. "-I'm just-"

"-This is between _Malfoy_ and I-", she growled; casting her eyes briefly in the direction of the raging blonde.

She watched in live-time as Albus turned on her. His eyes narrowed; his head cocking slightly to the side. He was out for blood.

"So how _was_ your little date?", His voice curled. "How was it _fucking_ someone of such an executive status? Do you feel like you've really earned your paycheck?"

She truly could have ripped his head off. Luckily for her, Scorpius was one step ahead of her.

"Don't-", he roared, lunging for Albus, again.

Thankfully, she was able to step between the two quick enough. She shouted cease fire; bracing both palms against Scorpius's chest.

" _Stop_ -", she breathed heavily, pushing him back. They locked eyes for a moment; the fury she had seen earlier was beginning to abate. It seemed there was something about her touch, that had snapped him out of it.

"You.", she said, turning to Albus; her mouth curving with malice. "Shut your _god-damn_ mouth."

"You", she moved, turning to Scorpius. His posture was one of defeat "Go outside. We're going on a _bloody_ walk."

He shook his head, his eyes wearing signs of betrayal. "-Don't tell me-"

"Outside. _Now_.", she barked, her voice cold. "If you're going to act like a child, you're going to get treated like a child."

He was still not ready to back down.

"I don't have to do anything you tell me to do.", he spat, moving slowly towards her "I'm a fucking _rock-star._ "

His words were like ice straight to her heart; hard, miserable, dirty ice. He was not himself, she knew that, but the sentiment was one of the ugliest thing that had come from his mouth. _Was this really what he thought? Deep down inside?_

His omission shocked her into silence. It shocked everyone into silence.

As the words rang through the vast, empty house, she watched the reality of it settled into him. He crumpled, his eyes closing, and his hand coming up to grip onto his hair.

"Fuck- I'm not…" he stammered, looking up at her suddenly. His eyes were no longer angry. "I didn't-" His face simply looked broken. Something she found she hated much, much more. "I didn't mean that. Merlin, _fuck_. I'm- I'm not…"

She put a hand up, silencing him and pointing towards the open patio door.

"Just go outside."

The descent down to the sandy beach below was tense. He was sobering up, but not sober enough to effortlessly walk down a large flight of wooden stairs. She was in no mood to assist, she was still angry.

She had cast off the heels from the evening, finding a small comfort in the give of soft, damp sand beneath her bare feet. She closed her eyes for a moment. It had been a very long day.

They walked in silence. Before their move to the beach below, Rose had forcefully pressed a bottle of pepper-up into his hands, with a direct command of not speaking to her until he had finished the entire thing.

She felt him stop beside her; holding up the empty bottle.

"So, you're ready to have a civil conversation with me?", she said archly. She knew she was being somewhat cruel, but she didn't care. Not in the moment.

"Weasley, I-", he started, his eyes beginning to fill with that same brokenness from before.

She couldn't stand it.

"Don't ' _Weasley, I-',_ me", she cried, "What the hell happened back there?"

He opened his mouth, shaking his head and looking around wildly.

"I'm- I'm…", he started, his eyes going wide, "I'm not _bloody_ okay, obviously!"

"What could you possibly not be okay about?", she cried.

"What are you-", He looked at her as if she was insane; his brow furrowing deeply. "Are you mad?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but he cut in before she could begin.

"This tour schedule is a nightmare, I'm exhausted, I can't leave my own _hom_ e ever without people taking photos of me or shouting at me…", his voice held a ragged quality.

"I can't eat. I can't sleep.", he continued, his voice rising over the sound of the crashing waves. "I haven't seen my family in ages… I have no clue what my life's going to hold in the future, and the _one_ thing I actually-"

He stopped, suddenly; his hand balling into a fist and falling limply beside him

"What?", she asked, in spite of herself.

He looked at her with those same broken eyes. "Nothing."

"Tell me."

He looked out towards the water. She could see the his jaw clenched in the pale luminescence of the was weighing his thoughts; carefully recalibrating and piecing together the words he was willing to say.

"How _was_ your date?", he sighed, looking back at her. The sentiment did not hold the same spite from earlier. It was defeated, signed off as a term of surrender.

"Are you _kidding_ me?", she cried, her voice rising again. "You are _so_ mental."

Scorpius looked out at the water again "He seemed like a genuinely good guy- Fucking bastard…"

"What are you-" she shook her head wildly with confusion.

"I could see it on his face the moment he met you-", the clench of his jaw became more prominent. "-So _bloody_ into you. It made me sick."

She was so tired of this.

"Malfoy… Ira's _gay!",_ she shouted, her words crashing around them."We spent the entire dinner talking about his youthful affair with _Ronnie Jett"_

"What."

Scorpius looked almost offended; like he couldn't believe the absurdity of her lie.

"He's gay. As in- He's exclusively into men.", She moved towards him, her words bursting with with self-righteousness anger.

Scorpius shook his head, his brow remaining deeply furrowed "That's impossible-"

She snapped.

"Will you _quit it_?", Her voice broke, "Even if he _was_ into me, that's not a guarantee for me wanting to jump into bed with him. _Or anyone_ , you assholes."

Scorpius turned, gripping his hair and snapping his eyes shut.

"Fuck…", he sighed, almost to himself "Fuck, fuck, fuck-"

She was momentarily alarmed "What?"

"I am not okay.", he said, through clenched teeth "I am really not okay…"

She felt her insides twist. Her anger was not gone, but seeing him bent over in obvious distress made the burning coil of feeling for him she often kept buried begin to slightly unfold.

"Well… I'm not doing so great, myself.", she sighed, her body falling slightly limp. "We're all a little in over our heads…"

He turned at her omission, his expression unreadable. She let the silence grow between the two of them. Allowing them both to breath.

"Where's Angele?", she asked, absently turning back to the bright lights of the house above them.

He gave her a look. It was momentary, but it read of total exasperation

"Some dinner. They left right after rehearsal", He too turned towards the house above.

Rose sighed, "Did Mina see you in your...state?"

"No.", he said, wincing slightly. "But she saw me lose it at practice"

Rose looked at him dubiously, "You don't _lose_ it."

He shook his head again, running his fingers through his hair.

"I just couldn't get my fingers to...work. Everything I played felt wrong.", he sighed. "Couldn't keep time. Even Mart was frustrated."

The thought of Scorpius doing anything without precision and perfection was practically incomprehensible to Rose.

"That's not you…", she said; partially as an affirmation, but more as a concerned inquiry.

"I'm _not_ me these days.", he said throwing his hands in the air with defeat. "I feel crazy!"

They looked at one another. The silence growing between them again. There was so much unspoken; it made the air around them feel heavy. She felt herself grow slightly weak the longer she stared into his silvery iris's. She needed to look anywhere but…

"You're bleeding-", she said suddenly, catching a glimpse of red stain growing through his white shirt; his right shoulder.

"Ah.", he said, quickly examining the source of the wound. "That might have been the bottle... or five I broke…"

She shook her head, moving toward him slightly. "Let me look at it-"

"-Just leave it. Please.", he said, suddenly, taking a step away from her.

"I'm not going to let you bleed out because you're feeling self-righteous.", she cried, reaching a hand out.

He shook his head, placing a hand over the bloody fabric.

"Let me bleed out- I deserve it.", He said, his voice coating itself in shame. "I can't believe I punched Mart…"

"Why in the world would you punch _him_ of all people?", she asked, realizing she was still unsure of _why_ exactly the violence between the trio had incited.

"I was aiming for Albus…", Scorpius omitted, his voice tracking over the events from only minutes prior. He sounded _so_ melancholy.

"Ah-", said Rose, glibly; trying to lighten the mood. "Well that's understandable…"

He was busy looking back out over the water, his eyes slightly glassy.

"Why was Albus the target of your aggression?", she asked, "You're normally quite docile-"

"-it's not worth getting into.", he cut in. He was still looking away from her.

"Then let me see at the cut.", she sighed, exasperatedly.

"-It's not going to make any sense to you."

She rolled her eyes, the frustration in her voice returning "Neither is _anything else_ you've done this evening!"

He turned back to her, his eyes flashing suddenly. "You're one to _talk!"_

"Excuse me?", she cried; her eyes going wide.

"Are we _ever_ going to talk about what happened last night?", he burst out. His body was tense; hands flown out beside him, asking the eternal question. "You've got me losing my fucking mind-"

Rose felt her heart begin to hammer in her chest. _This_ is what he was so worked up about?

"-You want me to talk about why we acted the way we did?", She matched his volume. "You want me to talk about the two of us being _blitzed on Moonstone_!?"

"-You think we felt all that because of drugs?", he fought back, his face contorting towards confusion.

Her mouth flew open "What else could it have been?!"

"How... about _real_?", he shouted; his voice firm.

Rose froze, her mind going blank. The hammering in her chest aligning to the rapid rising and falling of the waters next to them

"What's even r _eal_?", she said, quietly; unsure of what her response even meant.

His eyes flashed again. "You know what- I was right. I can't talk to you about this"

"Talk to me about _what?", S_ he stamped, her foot making soft patterns in the sand.

"About _us_ , Weasley.", He bellowed, his voice faltering.

Her eyes smarted. "There is no _us,_ Malfoy!"

His fists clenched next to side; his body going rigid.

"You think I don't know that?!", he exclaimed; his voice rising, "I'm just trying to make it through the _day_."

She shook her head; her heart hammering still. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Listen, I'm-", He stopped, stuttering over his words. "You're- I'm just trying to play your game!"

She narrowed her eyes. "I don't have a game-"

"-All of this is a game!", His hands outstretched again, gesturing to the house above. "The tour, the fake relationship, the press. This is all you."

He stopped. His voice growing hollow "And then last night-"

"-Forget last night!", she raged, unsure of how their conversation had divulged into this.

"Oh, I'm _bloody_ trying!", he moved forward towards her, his voice on the verge of breaking. "I'm losing my mind trying to forget… But I can't-"

He stopped again. The propelling motion of their anger had left them mere feet from one another. Their breathing was labored, cheeks wind-slapped and red. She knew they were getting into dangerous territory. She knew the smart thing to do would be to walk back up the wooden stairs, back into the large home and forget this whole interaction.

But his eyes were so earnest, and the slight scent of cedar was wrapping around her so delicately.

"Can't what?", she said; her voice coming out tougher than she intended to.

"I can't just forget you!", he breathed, his body going slack "I want to, believe me, I'd like nothing more than to feel like my world isn't _ending_ every time you're not around. And I'm so stupid…"

Another pause. Another crash of a wave.

"And maybe it's my fault-", He continued in earnest, his eyes burning into hers. "Maybe I should have listened to my own heart, and realized all the ways in which I-"

"-Are you still on moonstone?", she jumped, suddenly. Her body filled with a tremor of fear.

"No, I'm not on a _fucking_ love potion!" He actually yelled. He looked like he wanted to shake her. "What we took wasn't a _love potion_. Why can't you believe that?!"

"Then _why_ now?", she shouted, her insides giving in to the burning curiosity she was having trouble fighting in the moment. "You've had years to say som-"

"Because I'm an idiot!", his voice broke on a strained laugh. He shook his head in incredulity. "Because I'm a stupid boy who's only _just_ realized how much he-"

"How much he what-?" she braced, her arms crossing over her chest.

"How much you _mean_ to me!", He sounded on the verge of breakdown.

The wind whipped the air around the two. Rose was silent; her mind unable to process the reality he was admitting to. Scorpius was silent too; rubbing the base of his neck with anxiety.

Rose felt her legs give. Her body sank to the sand below. She was suddenly aware of the fact that she was still wearing the dress she had donned for her dinner with Ira. The whole interaction seemed ages away.

"Do you remember the show we played in Brussels? The night we fell asleep in front of the hotel in Paris?", he voice came in, softly.

She nodded, weakly.

He turned towards the sea, yet again "I looked at you during that show, while you were watching us off stage… and I- I don't know…"

"It was like something clicked,", he continued, talking towards the ocean waves with words meant for her. "and I was seeing you - _really seeing you_ \- for the first time. You looked…so radiant, so beautiful. But it was more than that. It was deeper. I saw you watching us, and looking so proud… I realized that's all I've wanted; all I've _ever_ wanted. It's your admiration... and your-"

His voice caught.

"-The glimpse of it made me practically fall off the fucking stage. It's haunted me. It's changed every memory- I can't think of any time we've shared together that hasn't led to me obviously ignoring the way I felt about you…"

Her heart began to pound again. This time with a different sort of energy. This heartbeat felt lighter; dizzying almost.

He sat on the sand as well; making sure to keep a distance from her. She could have sworn, however, she felt his heat from where she sat.

"Like how I _hated_ Allen.", He confessed towards the moon, his cadence holding hints of embarrassment.

Rose heard herself bark out a weak laugh. "You _hated_ him?"

Her ex-boyfriend was possibly the least affecting person she had encountered in her life. The fact that they had dated for almost two years was due to the fact that most of the time she forgot she was actually romantically involved with him.

Her mind filtered towards the dating history of the boy sitting in the sand next to her. She couldn't recall ever harboring fond feelings towards any of _his_ girlfriends…

"Yes!", he laughed as well "I couldn't stand him. And, really, his only sin was being an _exquisite_ bore…"

His look changed; something about the air of conversation between the two spurring him on, something about her light laughter.

"Well that…", he sighed, "And him holding the key to your affections. That I never understood-"

She didn't know what to say. Her heart was still hammering in that dizzy, frenetic way.

"Oh, and remember my 22nd birthday?", he said, turning towards her; his eyes sparkling slightly. "Remember we were so broke and stranded and it was _freezing_? We bought train tickets and took the Bergen Railway for hours, just so we could stay warm…"

She _did_ remember. It felt like lifetimes ago.

"And you and Al busked up and down the aisles just so you could buy me a tiny cake from the trolley…", he sighed, the recollection sending a small smile on his face. "It's one of my favorite memories… And every time I think of it now, all I can see you sitting next to me in the tiny train booth, your smile... laughing so hard, we were crying... And you getting up and performing, even though I know you absolutely hate that."

She smiled too. She _had_ hated it. Or, at least, she thought she did. In the moment, it wasn't even a question. She would have done anything for him. She would always do anything for him. The realization of that struck her deeply.

She felt like she had been punched in the stomach. But- not in a way that she hated.

He breathed, again. Looking outwards "You fell asleep on my shoulder that night -or morning- back in Paris, and it… I don't know"

Her chest was beating so wildly, she felt she might pass out "It what..?"

"It was the happiest and most terrifying moment of my life.", he said simply, looking back at her; his voice treacherous "There was _no where_ else I'd rather be. No where."

Her face must have betrayed it's emotionless resolve, because he moved; continuing with intensity.

"And you- You keep _everyone_ at a distance. I'd never want to put you in a situation where you feel uncomfortable.", Scorpius looked down, his hands idly tapping the sand beneath him. "But I thought… I thought maybe, just maybe I wasn't crazy. That whenever I was looking at you, you were looking back at me. And maybe you were just as scared and just and confused as I was-"

She couldn't speak. She couldn't wrap her head around what he was giving to her.

"-And then you-", He tensed, the break came back. "And then everything with Angele…"

She felt herself shaking her head. The gut-punch came back, this time with vigor. This time with understanding and regret.

"You say forget you…", he continued, moving closer to her. "But I can't. I _hate_ this life without you. Turns out, this job means _nothing_ if you're not there. If I can't laugh with you, or wrangle Albus with you, or look back into the wings and know you're there cheering me on, I don't want it.-"

She felt her eyes smart again. The treacherous tears that fell the evening prior, were creeping their way back. This time, however- they were pin-pricks of heavy emotion; neither happy, nor sad. She just could believe what he was telling her. She blinked furiously.

"-And I'm sorry, I'm _so_ sorry for not telling you sooner.", his emotion matched the intensity of what she was trying to keep at bay. It felt like he was releasing years and years of feeling; all wrapped up in one stumbling, heart-breaking sentence. "I'm sorry for being such a coward. I should have told you that night in Paris. I should have told you on my 22nd birthday. I should I have told you when we were _fifteen_ and I couldn't get your crazy blue eyes and buzzed head out of my mind. I'm-"

The final pause. He let out a deep, shaky breath; his eyes closing and his head leaning back to the sky.

"-I'm just sorry…", was his solitary apology; almost like a half-whispered prayer.

The wind lessened, almost as if to aide in the finality of his omission. They air around them was still.

Rose acted on impulse, her hand reaching out to him. Her fingers traced barely over the stain of his shirt, where the cut from before was still open. She gently moved closer to him, taking the hem of his sleeve and rolling it, to get a better look at the wound.

He turned from where he was sat, almost facing her. The only sound that could be heard was the slow, rippling of waves and the two heartbeats of a boy and a girl sharing in the exquisite agony of so many unanswered questions.

They did not speak. They didn't dare. She bit her lip; one hand delicately assessing the cut in question, the other hesitantly resting on his outstretched forearm. He did not move; their shallow breaths the only indicator of any emotional current happening beneath the surface.

The cut was barely anything, nothing a bandage couldn't solve. But she kept looking. She couldn't help herself. Not so much examining anything, but relishing in the feeling of his skin on hers. She could feel her cheeks begin to flush; her erratic heart beat growing deeper, more urgent.

"I left my wand upstairs…", she whispered. An answer to a question that hadn't been asked. She felt her hand -the one that had been carefully playing doctor- cease it's movement up by his shoulder. The hand slid down slightly, her fingers wrapping around his arm.

The movement was so intimate, she felt her face flush deeper; her heartbeat moving through her like an electric shock. He could only nod.

She watched him visibly swallow, the shadow of his adam's-apple bobbing slightly. They were on a precipice, they could both feel it. If Rose thought they were treacherous before, there was absolutely not going back now.

She found she didn't want to.

She opened her mouth to speak; finding the courage to say the words she had only just realized, but had truly felt deep within her for so long. He couldn't look at her, his eyes fixated on the apex of where their hands met.

"I've absolutely hated all _your_ girlfriends…", she sighed. Her voice was so only a hair above whisper, it almost got lost in the gentle wind. "Just so you know…"

He looked at her then; his eyes deciphering the delicate truth behind her words. She saw his face shift, his eyes flitting ever so briefly to her lips. They were so close, they were practically cradling one another. He moved forward, emboldened by her sincerity.

She felt his hand come up, gently pushing aside a lock of her long, auburn hair and curving his fingers around the base of her head. She felt the same jolt of electricity run through her; her body filling with dizzying nerves. She moved forward too, enough to where her hand could rest against his chest.

She felt the same wild, errant beating beneath his rib cage. The reality and vulnerability of the moment made an emotion foreign begin to well-up inside of her. His eyes closed; the two of them suspended in time -just feeling the reality of one another's touch.

When he opened his eyes, she saw a different Scorpius. The hollow, brokenness she had grown accustomed to was replaced. In it's wake was something passionate, something primal. Their shallow breathing and heated glances only adding in the urgency of the moment.

She saw his eyes ask the question. She felt her lips part in the answer.

And then, in a way she knew was coming, but couldn't quite believe was real, she felt his own lips against hers.

The first kiss was so gentle, so tentative, she might have missed it -hand not every nerve ending in her body been on high alert. She felt her body explode with feeling, the simple brush of his lips against hers creating such a whirlwind of sensation, she felt she might pass out. They pulled back, merely for a moment.

"O _h my god…_ ", whispered Scorpius, shaking his head softly.

The two of them then reacted quickly in earnest; the kisses becoming more fervent and deeper still. Rose felt herself carried away in the emotion only something so physical could inspire. She leaned into him, her hands knotting their way into his hair. HIs arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close, _so close_.

They were melting into one another, trying to put years of feeling into crashing lips and ardent sighs. Rose was losing herself, allowing her person to dip into the world of his hands against her body, and his eyes pooling deeply with feeling for her. The heat coming from both of them was exquisite. It was like everything she had experienced at the party, at Franco's, but realer and sweeter and better.

She felt a sort of mania building within her. This was the most beautiful moment she had experienced in her life. Only Rose knew how quickly moments of beauty turned into ones of sorrow.

There was a sudden crash of a waves, and Rose was snapped slightly back to reality. Oh, how quickly they had fallen into one another; it was almost inevitable. _What was she doing?_

She felt a cruel panic begin to rise in her. She couldn't do this. She couldn't _have_ this, _have_ him.

It was too beautiful, it was too intoxicating. When it all came crashing down, it would hurt with such devastating oblivion, she wouldn't be whole again. She could _never_ be whole again, if she let it get farther than this.

They were not meant to be together. No. She couldn't let herself fall into the notion that she'd come out unscathed. With careers, with friends, with families. With the savage hand of fate that no mere human had control over.

She was too much of a coward.

She was too much of a silly girl.

She loved him too _fucking_ much to let their lives come crashing down for one another.

As the reality of pulling away from the brilliant luminance she was currently experiencing in the arms of this ineffable boy, she felt the deep welling of emotion rise in her. She kissed him once more, knowing she was saying goodbye to the immeasurable fantasy she had allowed herself to indulge in, with the help of his tender words.

As their lips parted; her believing truly it was forever, heavy droplets fell from her eyes. They ran, catching on the strong hand that was still cradling her own head.

Their eyes met once more; his filling with a slow confusion, hers filling with miserable lamentations of an apology she would never feel worthy of giving.

He read her face, and the physical motion of her retreat.

"Please-", he whispered, "Rose, please don't do this…"

She shook her head, her face a crackling mask.

"I can't let us-", she sobbed, pressing her palms to her cheeks. "I can't let us ruin each other."

She got up, furthering her brutal retreat. His face was panic and agony, it hurt like nothing had ever hurt before.

" _What_ are you talking about?", he cried, his voice verging on mania. ""Rose-"

She stumbled over herself in the sand, "You'll leave- I'll leave. We have too much on the line to risk this…"

He looked as if she had just slapped him. He reached out. grabbing her hand in the most hopeless attempt. "I'm not going to _leave_ you… I could never-"

" _Everyone_ leaves!", she cried, her own voice finally breaking. The deepest, darkest reality finally surfacing. Suddenly, she was not on the beach. She was in a dark, lifeless version of her childhood home. The eaves creaked, everything was grey. And she was alone, _so_ alone.

The tears staining her face were not her own, they were her mothers. Softly coming through the cracks in the wall. Curling themselves into Rose's ears; chilling her down to there very core. Her tears were her mothers bent over in anguish, clutching to a burgundy sweater. 'R' knitted onto the front. Her tears were her mother's, forever marred with life's unending tragedy's.

 _Everyone leaves._

She shook her head again; back on the beach. She pulled her hand away from Scorpius's, it burnt to the touch.

Her eyes were wide, imploring. Her voice was low, hoping to be heard over the sound of waves.

"Everyone leaves, even if they don't want to…"

His eyes turned; his confusion turned to understanding.

"Rose-", he whispered. His own eyes smarted with tears that threatened to spill. He understood. He understood too well.

"Scorpius", she breathed, her final act of anguish, " _I love you."_

And with that, she turned; running up the wooden steps, wiping the heart-broken tears away from her eyes.

When she came to the top, the house was still. The lights in the lower level were off, the only thing she could see was an eerie red glow, coming from where she had left her wand prior to their decent downstairs.

 _Red, an emergency_.

As she rounded the corner, intent on grabbing the wand, she shrieked.

Albus was sat on the ground, the darkness falling around him like a cloak. He looked up at her. His eyes were black.

"What's going on?", she asked, tentatively. "Is everything okay?"

"No, everything is _not_ okay.", he scowled, a clear and unmistakable indignation in his tone.

She looked to the red buzzing of the wand, Albus on the floor. "Al, tell me what's going on right now."

"It's Gran…", his voice was cold. The red light only aiding in his apparent rage.

Rose sighed, slightly with relief. "Yes, Lily told me this morning. She had a bad fall. She's in Mungo-"

"-No Rose.", Albus cut in, "My mum just called me."

Rose's heart gave; an icy chill running through her.

"No…", she cried, her back hitting the counter.

"She passed away a couple hours ago.", He looked back down to the floor, his eyes filling with angry tears. Rose sank to the floor, her head shaking in awful, agonizing disbelief.

"Gran's dead."

—-

So.

That was a lot.

Please please _please_ don't hate me. I promise it's not the end for our two heart-broken little protagonists. A funeral is always a good place for feelings to arise.

Would love your thoughts one anything!

Did you like Ira? (He's introduced briefly in the second chapter, if anyone recalls.)

Is Lily really just pr…oud?

Drunk Scorpius?

ScorRose confession?

That kiss on the beach?

Rose and her true, _true_ fears about love?

**Random, but if anyone knows anything about the enneagram. I've typed our crew as the following.**

Rose: 3, heavy 2 wing

Scorpius: 5 w 4

Albus: 4 (such a four!)

Marty: 9

Mina: 1 (or maybe an 8, I haven't decided)

Angele: 7 w 6

Playlist for this chapter:

There's Little Left - Bruno Major

Ensoniq - Jarami

Yellow Is The Color Of Her Eyes - Soccer Mommy (Scorpius's confession on the beach)

Convention - Julia Jacklin

99 - Barnes Courtney

As always, please please review! They make me so happy and really do inspire me to keep writing.

xoxoxoxoxo


	12. I'm Crossing You

I've dreamed about this chapter for so long. I really, really hope you like it.

Xoxo

—-

May 19th, 2030

The Daily Prophet honors the life of Molly Eleanor Weasley nee Prewett. Esteemed war veteran and patron of Muggle-Wizard relations, Molly Weasley passed away peacefully in her sleep last night; May 18th 2030. Molly leaves behind her husband, Arthur Septimus Weasley, four sons; William Arthur Weasley, Charles Henry Weasley, Percival Ignatius Weasley, George Fabian Weasley, one daughter; Ginevra Molly Weasley, thirteen grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. She joins two sons; Fred Gideon Weasley and Ronald Billius Weasley. We ask that you give her family peace and condolences in this trying time. Service is to be announced.

-The Daily Prophet.

 _What did Rose Weasley know of grief?_ It was a question she often asked herself.

In a sense, it was all she knew. Her most fragile memories existed in grey worlds where mothers cried and laments often punctuated the silence brought by cruel, unforeseen absences. However, the grief was not fully hers. She was not grieving the loss of a husband or a son. She was grieving a father. And in the grand scheme of her lifetime, her father, _any father_ , was a concept that was becoming farther away and harder to grasp.

She found it difficult to grieve someone she did not _really_ know. And although his doings were as legend as folklore, and his accomplishments read like prose, she could not remember the feel of his arms, or the sound of his voice.

 _Your father was a great man_ , she was often told.

 _He was one of the kindest people I knew…_

 _No one made me laugh harder._

 _He was braver than most._

It was almost like scripture. In her angriest moments, she found it woefully unfair that so many people, _insignificant people_ , held pieces of her father in their minds while her vague notions of him were fading memories. Like a watercolor painting left in the sun for too long.

It was often assumed that she was the resident expert in terms of death, and its sudden and relentless departing. She was looked upon as someone to seek in a moment of sadness; either the passing of a grandparent, or a beloved pet.

 _I just miss them so much_ , a beleaguered classmate would cry, looking to her for the empathetic solace they would find in her mutual loss.

What she couldn't bear to tell them was that she didn't understand what it meant to miss someone like that; to feel their absence so tangibly. She was too young, and she had not allowed herself to sense, for a moment, what her life might have been like with Ron Weasley there to guide her.

She felt it every so often; sometimes suddenly and embarrassingly. Like, once; watching Lily run into the arms of her own father after a nasty fall on the pavement outside, or while at a friends graduation party, where the outfit she had worn was weather inappropriate, and a father there had unassumingly offered her his coat, just to stay warm. The first had caused an ache inside Rose so fierce, she ran and threw herself into the lake adjacent to the Potter family home. The latter had caused brash response that shocked the father in question. She had to leave the celebration, her shame was overwhelming.

She assumed it was just an unavoidable aspect of who she was; a plight of circumstance that she would have to deal with till she too left this earth, in the same way her father had. She was just broken, forever missing an important piece in a jigsaw puzzle that made-up Rose Weasley.

If she did not dwell on it, then the idea of the loss would mean less; hurt less.

If she did not get close to those who could so easily leave her in the same way, she would never feel the ache of separation that would inevitably come.

If she did not let anyone see beneath her veil of indifference and careful discretion, they would never uncover how deeply fractured and imploringly empty her interiors actually were.

And she was doing a damn good job at keeping it all together…until.

 _Last night._

She had _kissed_ Scorpius Malfoy. He had kissed her. And not delicate, chaste kisses. They had all but devoured one another on that lonely beach. He had whispered her name. She had told him she _loved_ him. And then she had left him. She had cut herself open, bleeding out years of feeling for one radical moment of passion. And in all of it, instead of just hurting herself, she had hurt him. She could not despise herself more.

And then the news of her grandmother. She felt the phrase _"kick her while she's down"_ was apropos.

As the three invariably grief-stricken young adults waited for their London bound port-key confirmation, Rose felt the deadening arch of unfamiliar emotion. Her Gran was gone. She felt so numb she could barely stand it.

Granted, she had not been as close to her grandmother as some of her other cousins, but there was something treacherously symbolic about the sudden departure of the Weasley matriarch. She could not recall much of her family's function before the absence of Ron Weasley, but she knew her grandmother had an intrinsic hand in making sure the Weasley's and Potters didn't fall apart completely.

Her uncle Harry had not been the same since. She knew that from the workings of him as a father. The ripping loss of a best friend, with a bond so impossibly deep; she could only imagine the maniacal anger that might inspire. Albus and Lily felt it. James felt it especially. But Molly Weasley had an important role in making sure her beloved son-in-law did not go off-the-rails completely.

She feared, in more ways than one, how her family would manage to hold themselves together now the heart of the body of kin was so suddenly gone.

She looked over at Albus, his face was ashen and absent. While in the early hours of his grief he had looked upon her with rage; incapable of understanding why she had refrained from telling him about their gran's fall, earlier that day. He now looked upon the world with vacant sorrow. She imagined he was still waiting for the reality of what had happened to fully sink in.

The old tea-kettle -acting as portkey- they had sat in front of them, the one currently awaiting travel clearance, began to glow with a sort-of greenish hue.

"Looks like we're cleared…", she said softly, to no-one in particular.

She glanced up at Scorpius. His expression was worn. When he had followed her up from the beach and found both her and Albus wrapped in the sudden impact of the tragic news, he had immediately shifted. While Rose made the necessary phone calls; notifying Tom of their need to depart, updating Mina on the halting of their shows…a heartbreaking phone call to her mother that consisted of a confirmation of the dreaded tidings and a promise to arrive home as soon as possible, Scorpius began packing their suitcases. She did not need to ask.

His own grief was not comparable to Rose or Albus's, but she knew there was a part of him that felt sorrow for the loss of Molly Weasley. As a youth, she had welcomed him with open arms; showing him a love she was endlessly able to give to those who seemed to be lacking. Rose knew Scorpius was hurting, and in a way that was so wildly out of character she could barely understand it, she wanted her arms around him; somehow soothing the anguish they were both feeling.

She knew she had given up the right to ever do that, however. Her sorrow must be her own. She could not lean on him. She did not deserve it. Not after last night.

The green glow grew brighter; signaling their need for a sudden departure.

"Albus?", she said, turning to him again. He said nothing, but wordlessly grabbed his suitcase and walked over to the tea-kettle. Scorpius followed suit.

Mart came out from the kitchen; looking at the three of them with a sad smile. He was staying in Los Angeles.

"We'll see you in a few days.", sighed Rose, giving him a nod.

She scanned the house one last time; bracing herself for the journey across the Atlantic, and the mournful chaos that awaited them once they arrived.

The three of them placed a hand on the kettle, and with a definitive pop, her vision was slowly submerged into darkness.

—

The first thing Rose noticed was the smell. An oaky, woodsy scent drifted in through the darkness. It hit her in a sweeping sort of nostalgia she felt all the way in the back of her throat. A light wind blew against her face, signaling the end of their travel. The outline of the house came into vision.

The sun was beginning to set; the lights inside the home were peaking through the early darkness; vague shadows moved past the glow from inside. Rose gulped.

She had not seen her mother's home in almost half a year.

They hit the ground with a soft thud; noises slowly began creeping in. The slight chirp of crickets, a small breeze rustling the leaves of the trees surrounding. They stood, their shallow breaths populating the noise of the outdoors. No one made a move forward.

Rose turned to Albus, her gaze uncertain.

"I…", he said, his eyes fixed on the shadows moving behind the panes of glass. "I'm going to drop my things off back at Grimauld…" His voice was far away.

"Al-", Rose started, moving to grasp his arm. His forlorn gaze

refused to meet hers.

"-I'll see you later, okay?"

And with another pop, he disapparated away; leaving Rose and Scorpius as solitary wards outside the large home.

Rose sighed shakily; giving Scorpius a look that she hoped conveyed the overbearing potion of emotion she was currently experiencing. Fear, grief, anger...guilt.

He looked back, his expression neutral. If their eyes had locked just a moment longer, she would have seen his face break; a wash of tenderness even _he_ couldn't keep at bay for the girl he felt so deeply for.

"Shall we?"

Her eyes were fixed on the large, amber doorknob separating them from entering completely and making their presence known to the grieving family, whose muffled voices could be heard over the din of the evening.

"We shall…", she heard him whisper.

The entryway was dark when they walked in. For the first few moments, their presence went relatively unnoticed. It seemed most were gathered in the large dining room, down the hall. The swarming of familiar voices began to invade her senses; hitting her with a wave of unfamiliar emotion.

" _I'm just… I'm just so mad, you know?"_

" _I know, Nin. But he's our brother, he-"_

" _He should BE here. I need him… His family needs him..."_

That would be Ginny and... Bill? Maybe Charlie… As the two grew older, Rose found it harder and harder to distinguish between her elder uncles.

"- _Mum, here's your tea."_

" _Tea?"_

" _Auntie's just brewed it…"_

Lily's clear voice was recognizable down the hall. Rose could sense a swatch of weariness behind the witches offer. She heard the creak of footsteps.

" _Did you ask your_ _grandfather if he wanted any?"_

" _I think-"_

" _Arthur's sleeping in the den, Gin-"_

" _-Oh, look at this one!"_

Two new voices. As Rose and Scorpius walked down the picture-lined entryway, Rose could see an ambling chorus of red and brown heads, crowded around her old dinner table; swarms of drifting photos piled in front of them.

" _Their hair! Oh, they looked so young. How were they ever this young?"_

" _Everyone's young once, Nin…"_

" _You know what I mean-"_

" _-How old do you reckon they were?"_

Rose found herself halting at the corner, allowing the moment to play out in front of her. She was surprised by the sudden warmth she felt. She didn't exactly expect to walk into a somber funeral home, but there was a subtle shock in seeing smiles, tinkles of laughter, friendly ribbing…

"They must have been...twenty or so…", signed Ginny, holding the picture up to the light. From the outline, she could see two cheery faces beaming for the camera. "This was definitely before the wedding. Mum's hair was long…"

Her Uncle George peered over, nabbing the photo from his sister.

"Gran and Gramps got married when they were _twenty_?" A younger voice called from the kitchen.

Her cousin Freddy stumbled out from her peripherals, leaning to look as well. "That's how old I am…"

"Can you imagine..?", sighed Lily, a teacup balanced in her pale, slender hands.

"-Oh, the _family_ photos…", a soft, honeyed voice called out. Rose gulped again. Hearing her mother's cadence overwhelmed her. She could feel tiny pinpricks of emotion creeping their way up her throat.

"This is the year Ronald refused to wear his jumper…" Ginny sighed again, tracing the outline of each member with her fingers.

George chuckled, "If you look closely, you can see Fred and I have _actually_ switched jumpers in this photo… I don't think mum ever knew."

Ginny's laugh tinkled through the dining room; her fingers dancing between the two young boys in the photo, F & G emblazoned on their sweaters. Then her eyes shifted, her mouth twisting, "I think she knew. She always knew…"

Tears were pooling in the wells of her aunts large eyes before Rose knew what was happening. Her heart jumped into her throat; unprepared for the rapid unleashing of feeling.

"Oh, Mum…", cried Lily, her teacup coming down on the table with a clash. Her arms wrapped around her mother; trapping her in affectionate prison. George followed suit.

"Nin…" Bill sighed from the end of the table; his arm stretched, placing a hand on her elbow.

To anyone else, it was a touching scene. The family spent a silent spell, allowing Ginny to quietly cry as the moment of grief washed over her. It made Rose's palms sweat; her heart nervously hammering in the midst of her aunts sorrow.

Ginny sniffed, shaking her head after a time, "Agh, I'm s-s-sorry… I hate to keep doing this."

"Shh…", silenced her mother, grabbing the picture gently. "I love this photo. Ronald's scowl makes me laugh so hard. He looks just like Rosie in this. That little crinkle near his eye…They could be twins."

Rose heard the tiniest of chuckles from the boy behind her. She was surprised at the relief it inspired in her; allowing a momentary reprieve from the anxious workings inside. She almost reached back; wanting to give him a playful nudge. But she stopped at the last moment; reminding herself again of the bridge she had so decidedly burned between the two of them.

"Speaking of Rose…", Bill swooped in, allowing Ginny a moment to collect herself. "When's she arriving?"

Her mother looked up, her stoic expression masking the anticipation held in her tone, "Any minute now… I believe her and Albus are waiting on portkey permissions."

Rose cleared her throat; feeling her time hiding in the shadows was coming to an appropriate end.

Six pairs of eyes flew to her.

"Ta-da…", she said with a weak smile.

Her mother practically flew out of her seat, crossing the expanse of the table and wrapping her in a fierce, rib-cracking hug that threatened to immediately upturn any unearthed emotions she had hiding deep within her. Something only a mother's hug can do.

They held each other silently for a moment.

"Oh, Rose.", Hermione sniffed; resting a soft hand on the back of her daughter's head and kissing her cheeks.

Rose breathed deeply. Her mother smelled of apricot and parchment. She smelled like home. She felt the same creeping pinpricks of emotion crawl behind her eyes, igniting the workings of tears that threatened to fall.

"Mum…", she sighed, breathing again. She did not know whether it was more to keep the treacherous tears at bay, or to continue inhaling her mother's safe and nostalgia-laced perfume.

When they pulled away, her mother's cheeks were wet and her eyes were misty.

"Oh, _Mum_ …", Rose gave, lamely. She used the sleeves of her shirt to wipe away the lamentations. "Don't- Don't cry… I'm here. I'm-"

Hermione shook her head, placing a hand on Rose's face and giving her a sad smile, "I know. I'm sorry. You hate it when I show feeling of any sort-"

Rose winced, returning the melancholic grin. "Mum, I-"

Hermione's gaze turned to the presence behind Rose.

"Scorpius! _Dear_ , I didn't realize you'd be traveling as well…"

She abandoned Rose, throwing her arms around the tall blonde with genuine affection. Scorpius's cheeks glowed a rosy red.

"My condolences, Mrs. Granger…", he lamented in between _bissou, bissou's._

Rose watched the momentary interaction with a strange sort of ache. Watching her mother and Scorpius talk, she was acutely aware of how her tender heart began to swell in their enjoyment of one another.

Her feelings were halted by the fierce grip of a hand on her arm.

"Where's Al?"

Lily's piercing eyes held lofty bags beneath them; her now pale skin aiding in the effect. Her attire was almost alarmingly toned down. Rose could not recall ever seeing her cousin err on the side of such _averageness_. It was slightly off-putting.

Rose could only look at Lily; fearing any brought attention to Al's absence would only upset the already grieving family present. Aunt Ginny especially.

Lily's tired eyes sparked with understanding, followed quickly by burning anger.

"I can't fuck-", she paused; checking her surroundings and lowering her voice till only Rose could hear it. " _I can't fucking believe he's not here…"_

Rose could feel her anxious heartbeat begin to return.

"He went to Grimauld…", she said in a low-tone, trying to dissuade Lily's mounting rage. "He said he'd be back."

Her eyes narrowed. "And you _believe_ him?"

Rose floundered, fearing an outburst "I-"

Lily scoffed "I hope Kreacher pisses in his suitcase-"

"-Rose, oh sweetheart-", Ginny moved between the two fiercly whispering girls, giving Rose a warm, watery embrace.

"Aunt Gin…", she sighed; hugging back. Her eyes fell momentarily to the scene happening beside her. Scorpius was in full conversation with her Uncle Bill and cousin; shaking hands, discussing travel. Their eyes met. She quickly retracted hers, feeling a heavy hand of guilt in her desired connection with him.

Ginny pulled back, looking down the hall. "Where's-?"

"-Left, _of course_.", Lily burst, her frustration flooding over. "Probably didn't want to run into dad."

Ginny's face fell; her mouth twisting again horribly. Rose glared at Lily.

"He's just gone to Grimauld-", Rose prompted, placing a hand on her aunts shoulder. She felt another presence behind her; her young cousin coming in for a hug as well. "Freddy, hey…"

Rose tried to turn back to Ginny in time; hoping to convey a modicum of apology on her cousins behalf. But she was already shaking her head; another pooling of tears beginning.

"It's for the best.", she sighed, shaking her head. "It's-"

"Where's Albus?", Freddy questioned, innocently. His gaze registered on Scorpius; unaware of the wave of emotion he had understandably inspired.

Ginny backed down into a chair, her body shaking again with cries. Lily was next to her in a moment.

"Mum, please.", she sighed, rubbing her arm gently. "Don't think of him."

"F-f-first Percy, now him…"

Hermione came as well; placing a firm, but gentle hand on her sister-in-law's shoulder.

"Perc will be here.", she said with a tender nudge. " Albus will be here. This is all a lot to deal with."

Ginny shook her head with vigor. "-If they cared…"

" _Percy says he isn't going to be able to make it…",_ Lily had gotten up from the table, leaving her aunt to comfort her distraught mother and moved to whisper into Rose's ear. " _To his own mother's funeral."_

Rose whipped her head wildly to face Lily; her face painted in shock. Things had always been fraught with that particular uncle, but she would have hardly ever fathomed a stance so decided would be taken in light of his mother's passing. _"What-"_

"-Rosie Posie!", a booming voice came over, giving her a hug as well.

"George.", she said, feeling slightly out of breath. The cavalcade of voice and emotions was proving to be a bit overwhelming for her. "Love the coat."

He was sporting an orange and yellow brocade number that clashed wildly with his slightly greying hair. He was the most boldly fashionable of the Weasley's, something she always admired.

She turned again, alarmed by another cry coming from Ginny.

"James is coming in with Adelaide and Gretel tonight.", Lily cut in, hell-bent on updating Rose with information she didn't _exactly_ feel was pertinent… "They're staying at Godric's-"

"-I haven't seen my own _son_ in months-", Ginny continued to wail. Rose could feel her palms sweat; the anxious heartbeat returning.

"Ginny, love, let's take a walk-", her mother soothed, trying to get the woman to stand.

"-Louis will be in tomorrow morning.", Lily's voice drifted in. "I think he's bringing Dom with him..."

Rose was caught between half-heartedly listening to Lily prattle on, watching her aunt have a slight meltdown she felt potentially responsible for, and trying not to search for the comforting eyes of a certain blonde somewhere behind her; making nice with her family.

"There's so much to _do_.", Ginny continued to cry. "We have to sort through pictures-"

"Vicky will be in with the kids soon-", Lily went on, her voice suddenly holding a slight edge.

"-Pictures can wait.", Hermione reasoned; looking up at George for support.

"Do you want me to drag him back here?", George boomed, the edges of his wild coat upturning as he faced the door to the outside. "I'll do it-"

Her mother's eyes narrowed, obviously not content with _that_ particular level of assistance. "George, I don't think that would be very helpful-"

" _Everyone else is coming in just for the service-"_ , Lily continued; her arms folding in final concession of information.

Suddenly, Rose was aware of a missing party.

"-Where's Jane?", she asked; her voice cracking slightly. If Rose was home, her young sister was usually the first to greet her; a wild story and affectionate hug being barreled her way.

"If Percy can't come to _his_ own mother's funeral, who's to say Albus won't show up to _mine_?", Rose heard Ginny cry again, her voice bordering on hysterics. "How could a son be _so cruel_?"

"Upstairs. She's having a fit.", Lily dismissed, in regards to Jane's whereabouts. She turned then, looking towards her mother in haughty affect. "Mum, _I'll_ be at your funeral. Isn't that enough for you?"

Rose shook her head; craning her neck towards the stairs leading to the second story. "Jane's having _a fit_?"

"Some of us aren't built to charge into sadness in the way that you are.", Hermione reasoned, kindly. " I'm sure Albus is terrified right now-"

"-Wait, _why_ is Jane having a fit?", Rose cried; turning to her mother for answer. "Is she upset about Gran?"

Hermione sighed; looking at her eldest daughter with a recently unseen weariness in her eyes.

"She has a recital tonight, and we can't go.", she said, plainly. Her tone was neutral, but Rose could hear in her voice; this was a battle she'd been raging all day.

"Dance.", she continued, sitting to face Rose. "Ed's, _of course_ , out of the region on business..."

Rose hadn't realized Ed was gone; thinking he was merely away at the office. She felt a pang of guilt at her negligence. She heard the slight tremor of sadness come through her mother's explanation.

"-She's been crying about it for hours, poor thing.", Ginny sniffed; unaware of the ironically mirrored state she was currently exhibiting.

"-He'll only just be getting back in time for the...service tomorrow.", Hermione continued. Rose wondered if anyone else caught the clip in her voice at the mention of the proceedings taking place the next day. "Or he'd take her..."

At that moment, a cry was heard from the floor above. It was the unmistakable lamentations of a small child; exhausted from the cruel offerings life often gave. Hermione closed her eyes for a moment, her teeth clicking together with a slight set of her jaw.

"It breaks my heart, but there's honestly so much going on-", she continued, "I'll go up and let her know you're here-"

"-Does she understand _why_?", Rose cut in. There was something particularly cutting about the sound of Jane's crying. It twisted her in a way she knew wasn't approximate to the current situation. Her mother, true to her nature, subtly pin-pointed the source of the upset.

"There's only so much a six-year-old can understand…", she said softly; her gentle eyes falling on Rose. They were talking about Jane, but also; they weren't _just_ talking about Jane. Her anxious heart began to increase. The walls of the home suddenly felt too small, the air around began to feel too hot.

"Rosie, look at this one.", Ginny sniffed again; she had turned back to the pictures, over her spell of melancholy for the present moment. "It's you and Al in the garden."

Rose snapped her vision to where her aunt was peering over the mess of moving images. A young version of Albus and Rose sat huddled together under a large rooted tree, their faces streaked with dirt, their mouths breaking out into large grins. They were cackling with delight.

The image seemed strange to her; their smiles feeling out of place. She recalled the moment- realizing why the happiness felt so forgein. This picture must have been taken when they were five, or so. _Before-_

Suddenly, all of it felt much too much. _Al was a ruddy genius_ ; ditching the family proceedings when he could. Her eyes grazed over the piles of pictures. Too many people smiling up at her; unaware of the turn their world would take as life's cruel hand did what it pleased with them. Too many pictures of her gran, holding babies who would unfairly leave earth before she did; too many images of children delighting over birthday cakes that would only bring them one year closer to inevitable tragedy; too many images of Ron Weasley, holding a wife and children he loved deeply…

"-Where are you staying, Scorpius?" Lily's voice cut in, thankfully, through Rose's clouding thoughts. She wondered if anyone could see the obvious panic her interiors were encroaching on. It seemed everyone was in their own small world.

Lily was looking directly behind Rose. She realized Scorpius had come, his presence standing silently just behind her. She wondered, selfishly, if he could sense her current emotional standing. She hated the relief it inspired in her.

"I'm going to sleep at the Manor…", he said, slightly jolted at being addressed so directly. The whole of the dining room turned to look at him. "It's not too far. I just came to drop off Rose…"

 _I'm going to the Manor..._

She felt her stomach bottom out with his words. She, obviously, had not assumed he would stay with her, but where he would _actually_ sleep for the evening was a thought that hadn't crossed her mind for even a moment.

"I'll be back for the service…", she heard his voice come in over her thoughts.

The panic that was encroaching, began to slowly take over. He was leaving. He would be _leaving her_. The cruel reality of the sentiment curled through her at rapid speed; silently choking her. _Oh, dear Merlin_ , she did not want him to leave. She felt her gaze begin to scan the floor; desperately trying to get ahold of her blatant and startling separation anxiety.

"Oh, that's much too far!", her mother's voice came in, ever the perfect hostess. "I can't bear the thought of you staying in that empty home, just to come back the next day. Stay with us! We'll have the couch made up for you."

Rose could have kissed her mother.

"-Oh no, Mrs. Granger, I couldn't- It's really no problem-", he stuttered, opting for politeness.

Rose felt her heart ache; her eyes squeezing shut for a moment to keep herself firmly rooted in reality. _She didn't want him to go_. She wanted him here, saving her from the full tidal wave of the next few days.

She felt so clearly in that moment. She couldn't face her family without him, couldn't deal with Lily's vapid anger without him, couldn't watch her resilient aunt dissolve into tears, couldn't sit and sift through visions of painful memories with a heartbroken family...without him.

She just couldn't.

Her mother persisted. "No, I absolutely insist. It's an hour's journey both ways-"

She could tell he was erring on the side of leaving; the weight of the past three days they had just experienced was still firmly situated on top of the two of them. She had no business asking him to stay, no business requesting him to be the friend she had grown to cherish, be the man she had grown to… _well-_ She felt embarrassing pinpricks of tears begin to threaten her already fragile emotional standing. The thought of him walking out the door- and the cold void she would feel inside at his action- made her want to _cry_.

"-No, I really-", he continued.

She did the only thing she could think to do; the mounting trauma within aiding in the boldness of her action. She deftly reached behind her; fiercely grabbing his wrist and gripping it with as much emotion she could muster without causing too much attention.

It was a subtle move; only visible to someone who was looking directly at them, from behind. But it echoed volumes in the tiny space Rose and Scorpius occupied. It was a definitive declaration on her part. Time slowed.

 _Stay. Stay. Stay. Please._ Her mind pleaded, hoping he could read the desperation held in her fingers gripping. _I know, I don't deserve this. I know I kissed you last night, and then I ran. You have every right to walk out that door. I know. But please. Please stay. Please be my friend. Please._

If he was surprised, his body did not show it. She felt his hand move. For a terrifying moment, she assumed he was moving his hand away from her embrace; subtly letting her know this was not a request he could or _would_ comply with.

Then, she felt his fingers wrapping around hers; squeezing them lightly and letting them fall. The sweet mix of tender electricity that coursed through her was almost too much to bear. _He would stay._

"I really appreciate it, thank-you…", he sighed, acquiescing to Hermione's offer. Rose silently let out a deep breath she didn't realize she was holding. She now felt like crying for a completely different reason.

Her mother smiled warmly. "Then, it's settled."

She turned, moving towards the landing of the stairs. Rose and Scorpius stayed still for a moment, neither daring to look at one another. They both feared a single glance would either confirm or deny the unspoken agreement shared between the two.

"Why don't you go up and grab Jane yourself?", Hermione sighed, brushing a stray curl out of her face. Rose turned, careful to keep her gaze firmly on her mother and not glancing at the boy standing next to her. "Just a warning, she may be less excited than usual. She's experienced a lot the past two days that may inhibit her normal love for her big sister."

Rose nodded, moving to walk towards the staircase as well.

Suddenly, there was a commotion from the other side of the room. A strangled voice was calling out from the den.

" _Molly! Molly! Molly! Where have you gone?"_

Her mother's brow furrowed. Bill and George got up from their chairs immediately, rushing to the source of the upset. Ginny covered her mouth with her hands; fresh tears bubbling over.

"Oh dear…", her mother said, sadly.

Her grandfather was calling out, crying his late-wife's name in agony. Rose tensed, her fearful eyes being read by her mother instantly.

"He'll be fine…", she soothed, in a gentle voice meant to be heard by Rose alone. "It happens now, sometimes when he wakes up."

Rose was still frozen; petrified by the terrible cries that were coming from the far away room. The house was, again, much too small. The fire was much too hot. Even the promise of Scorpius's presence wasn't enough to keep her from fully dissolving into panic.

"Grief is a funny thing, Rosebud", her mother sighed. Rose winced slightly at the affectation. "One minute you're happy, the next you're not… It's all part of was makes us human."

She turned back to her mother, attempting to settle the deeply _unsettled_ inner workings of her body. The sound of her grandfather's terror had begun to quiet down, but her rapid heartbeat had not.

"Why-", she started, her voice catching. "Why don't _I_ take Jane to her recital?"

"Oh Rosie, no.", her mother shook away the offer. "You just got in. You-"

"Mum.", she interrupted, her eyes hoping to wordlessly express the overwhelming state she was feeling, and how desperately she needed to get out of the house she was currently in. " _Please_. Let me take her to the recital."

Her mother understood; her eyes glazing over with a soft sort-of sorrow.

"Rose-"

"I haven't seen her in six months…", Rose pled. "Let us get out of the house for a little bit."

Hermione sighed; placing a warm hand on the cheek of her daughter. She left it there for a moment, looking into Rose's eyes with a kind of melancholic reverence.

"Well, you better tell her quickly-", she said, clearing her throat. "I don't think there's much time before the show starts. I'll go grab the tickets."

Rose gave her mother a grateful half-grin.

Her mother walked back into the kitchen; unknowingly leaving Rose and Scorpius saddled alone together for the first time with the weight of Rose's bold and vulnerable request between them.

She breathed in shakily, locking eyes with him. Her hand gripped the wooden railing separating the two.

His eyes were tired, but soft. He was looking at her with that unreadable emotion she often saw come across his features. It made her heart clench.

She opened her mouth to speak; unsure of _what_ she would even say.

He shook his head lightly, his face alighting with a small, almost sad, smile.

"I've always wanted to go to the ballet…", he said; bringing his hand alongside hers on the wooden railing. Not touching, but Rose felt the gesture as if they were.

She let out a small, weak laugh; holding his gaze and praying he could read the gratefulness she felt towards him in that moment. He gave her a mirrored glance.

She was suddenly caught off guard by how grown he looked; in the silence of their slight confessions, his person had altered. He was somehow taller, bolder, more mature. She felt she was seeing him in a different light than she ever had before.

It made a deep well of longing begin to pool within her. It terrified her.

Startled by the sudden change; all she could do was nod as they both made their way up the stairs.

—

Jane's room was a startling mess of tulle and toys. The small girl was sat facing a mirror; her olive cheeks stained red with tear tracks. A pink leotard was worn backwards and a pair of tights had managed to only make it onto one leg. Her small hands were tangled in her mass of tiny, caramel curls; attempting to put it into some sort of updo.

Rose shook her head; her heart going out for her temperamental and _very_ distraught sister. It reminded her so deeply of her own depth of feeling, that could have been _her_ silently crying on the ground.

"Janie?", Rose called softly, knocking lightly on the open door as she stepped inside the tiny room.

Jane turned, her red-rimmed eyes alighting momentarily at the sight of her elder sister. Her bottom-lip quivered, turning back towards the mirror.

"Rose…", she sighed, wiping her eyes furiously.

Rose noticed the absence of her usual monicker, _"Wose"._ Jane's voice sounded older, more pronounced. It made her a little bit sad, knowing her _baby_ was growing up faster than she could realize. And she was missing it.

She sniffed again, "Did you hear about my dance?"

Her small voice was _so_ pitiful, it almost made Rose laugh.

"I did… Mummy told me." Rose said, sitting next to her sister and beginning to unclip the mass of barrettes the young girl had thrown into her hair.

"I can't wait to see it tonight…", she whispered, smiling down at Jane.

Her eyes grew wide and her head whipped towards Rose; disbelief painted across her features.

"Would it be okay if Scorpius and I took you to the show?", she asked, looking back. He was leaning against the doorway; a soft look on his face. "I know you were hoping Mummy and Dad would, but it's been tough for them; with all they have to do before tomorrow."

Jane's lip trembled, looking from Rose to Scorpius.

" _W-eally?"_ , she whispered; the childish lilt of her voice returning.

Rose nodded, brushing a tiny curl back into place.

Jane jumped up; wrapping her tiny arms around Rose's neck. She let out a delighted scream.

"W-eally, w-eally, _w-eally?",_ she continued to jump, up and down; the stray tight leg flopping next to her with every leap.

Rose laughed; a real laugh. "Really, _really!"_

"I get to dance!", the little girl screamed; her fingers curling in triumph. "I get to _dance!_ "

She tore herself from Rose and ran across the room; barreling into Scorpius and squeezing around his middle.

"Thank-you, _Scorpie!_ Thank-you!"

He blushed; patting her head tenderly. Rose bit back a laugh.

"Anytime, Janie…"

"You, Miss." Rose sighed with a smile, "Are _hardly_ ready for a recital."

She motioned for Jane to come to her.

"Let's get this leotard on right-side out...and your hair up into something a little tamer.", Rose fluffed her sisters curls; now fully free from their tangles of accoutrement. "And maybe we can get a pair of tights on _both_ legs…"

Jane giggled; kicking up the solitary limb encased in nylon. Her little body bounced with excitement.

" _I get to dance…"_ , she whispered; squeezing her eyes shut.

Rose helped free her leg, a joyful laugh escaping. "Do you think you're ready?"

Jane stopped bouncing. She opened her eyes; nodding fiercely. "I've been pw- I've been _p-racticing!"_

"Good!", Rose smiled.

Jane beamed; the fading tear stains making her look a bit crazed.

"I'll go grab the tickets from your mum and see where it is we're headed to.", Scorpius supplied from the doorway; giving her an amused quirk of his brow.

"We'll be down soon, _thank-you._ ", Rose sighed; so eternally grateful for him, she didn't know if she could stand it.

"Will _Scorpie_ see my dance?", Jane sighed, excitedly, while Rose charmed her curls into a tiny knot on the top of her head.

She laughed at Jane's enthusiasm.

"Yes. He's going to keep me company."

Jane sat for a moment; her fingers fluffing the ends of her tutu. "Daddy is a husband. Did you know that?"

"I _did_!", Rose giggled; producing two pink slippers from the trenches of Jane's closet.

"Is Scorpie _your_ husband?", she continued; asking in earnest.

Rose barked out a laugh; slightly stunned by the question. "No! No, Janie. We're just friends…"

She wiggled the ballet slippers onto Jane's feet; getting her to stand.

"Can I tell you a secret?", Jane whispered; her large eyes finding Rose's.

Rose nodded; fighting a smile.

" _I want him to be my husband!"_ , she cackled; giving her big sister a devious grin.

Rose couldn't help but burst out laughing again. It felt good to laugh.

"Oh Janie!", she cried; kissing her cheeks and continuing to laugh. "I've missed you."

"Do you think he'll be mine if I say so?"

She continued to chuckled, shaking her head "I'm not sure, sweet pea. You could always _ask_ him."

Jane considered this; while Rose applied the finishing touches to her show attire.

Footsteps came up the stairs again; Scorpius returned with the tickets and destination, just as promised.

"Now's your chance…", Rose whispered, nodding a head to her sister.

Jane's eyes bugged out of her head; her face turning bright red. She darted behind Rose; burying her face in the crook of her kneecap.

"I'm _shy!_ ", she cried; sending Rose into another round of hysterics.

Scorpius raised a brow, but smiled and said nothing.

Rose extracted her sister from behind her legs and took one last look at her.

"You look... _exquisite._ Give us a twirl."

Jane beamed again; spinning like a mad-woman around the room.

"Okay, okay!", she laughed; halting her sister. "Should we get this show on the road?"

Scorpius smiled, making a way for Jane to move down the stairs. "Let's rock-and-roll."

—-

" _I don't mean to alarm you… But I think today might be your birthday…"_

The mission to the recital had been less dramatic than Rose had initially anticipated. The whole thing was _muggle_. In an effort to connect Jane to her half-blood status (on both sides), Hermione made a point to have her participate in muggle traditions of every sort. Ballet included.

Rose was beyond relieved; realizing they'd have no issue of press or paparazzi's. No one would recognize them.

The only inconvenience was their inability to use magic; having to drive the family car half a mile to the local school where the show was taking place. Even then, Rose didn't mind. There was something so wonderfully _average_ about the entire outing, she relished in its normalcy.

They had dropped Jane off; finding seats towards the back of the venue. They had even arrived a little early. Now, the main task was staying awake. It was the first time she had stopped moving in almost three days. Her entire body ached to lie down in a soft bed and forget the world for a few hours

Scorpius's voice came in. It was low; it sounded just as tired as she felt.

"I don't mean to alarm you… But I think today might be your birthday…"

Held in his outstretched palm was his copy of the pamphlet they had been given upon entering the auditorium. Sure enough, typed in bold script at the top:

Mayfaire Dance Academy; Summer Showcase

May 19th, 2030

 _May 19th…_

She closed her eyes, bringing an open palm to her forehead. She had forgotten her own birthday

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me…", she sighed, quietly; almost too tired to even care. It wasn't as if birthdays were of a particular significance to her, but she was usually _aware_ that the day in question was upon her. She chalked it up to the 8-hour time change with the portkey, but if she was being truthful she hadn't given it a second thought even before then.

Scorpius winced, "I'm sorry, Al and I should have-"

"-This is hardly the time to be sorry about missing my birthday…", she sighed, looking at him with placation. "We've had other... things going on."

They were quiet. Scorpius's mouth twisted, his eyes calibrating her exterior with concern.

"Are you okay? Sorry-" He started, "That's a stupid question to ask…"

He shook his head, his fingers balling into an anxious fist near his knee.

"Can I do anything? Do you need anything?"

She felt her heart give; unable to understand the tender care he was able to bestow upon her, regardless of everything that had transpired between them.

 _Are you kidding me?_ She wanted to say. _I rejected your ardent confession of affection, and then silently begged you to stay with me. I can't decide whether I want kiss you for hours or run screaming. You're at a dance recital for a child instead of resting at home… You have no idea what you're doing for me right now._

"I don't need anything else…", she managed to choke out; giving him a look she hoped conveyed the words she was too cowardly to say.

He nodded; matching her gaze. There was a subtle intensity; the breath of a conversation happening beneath the surface. She was the first to break eye-contact; clearing her throat and looking towards the empty stage.

"Should we at least get you a cake?", she heard him say; an obvious shift in tone.

"Please, no-"

"Strawberry lemon?", he lilted; his voice holding a slight tease. Strawberry lemon was her favorite cake. She had it every year. He knew that.

"That's not fair…", she gave him an eye; fighting a smile.

"Come on.", he leaned into the auditorium seat, his neck resting against the wood back. His eyes were closed "Let's pretend…"

"Pretend?" She tried not to think about how his voice had gone sort of quiet; on the verge of a beg. She tried not to think about how much she liked it.

He sighed "Let's pretend the last three days never happened…", he stopped, his eyebrows raising. "Actually-"

"How about the last three _months_ never happened?", she finished; without thinking. _If only..._

His eyes opened; testing her reaction. He gave her a surprised grin.

"Okay. It's gone." His eyes closed again; the tease returning to his cadence."What's your birthday like?"

She joined him in his lounging, trying to find a comfortable position in the squeaky seat.

"I take a sleeping draught.", she smarted; eyes gazing towards the ceiling. "And I don't wake up until Christmas."

"Count me in.", he laughed, freely. _Merlin, she liked his laugh._

Rose cleared her throat; trying to keep from doing something _embarrassing._ "Then we can wake up and think about _your_ birthday."

He grinned "Double celebration."

"No", she laughed; shaking her head. "My gift was catching up on sleep."

"And mine?", He turned to look at her. She did not miss the slight sparkle in his eyes. It was a shine she had not seen in quite some time.

"You're there to keep me company.", she sighed, aware of the simmering context beneath her words.

Scorpius nodded, a smile playing on his lips.

"Got it.", he murmured.

"Good.", she half-whispered back.

They shared another look; a look Rose felt right beneath her rib-cage:

Something about it said the words was she was too afraid to hear. Something about her gaze told him the words she was too afraid to say. Neither of them felt an urgency to call attention to it.

"Humor me, Rose." He turned his gaze again towards the ceiling. "Let's plan your birthday. Dream birthday."

 _Rose._ He had called her 'Rose'.

"You're such a whimsical lad, you know that?", she teased, allowing a warmth to move through her. "Did you have imaginary friends when you were growing up?"

He narrowed his eyes, leaning in towards her "Did you?"

"I asked you first.", she smiled, shaking her head.

"Of course not. You know my father.", he said; almost laughing. "I learned to dream when I got older…"

Rose snorted; surprised by his sincerity. "Oh, that's kind of beautiful…"

"Hmm…"

"Fine. Dream birthday.", she started; sensing an impatience in his tone. "Dinner. Drinks. Dancing."

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Boring."

"I'm a bore!", she laughed.

He gave her another look; one he did not have a chance to hide. It clearly read: _You are far from a bore and we both know it._

He cleared his throat. "Dinner where?"

 _Anywhere with you._ Her brain responded for her.

"Somewhere I've never been before…", she rattled off before her silly brain started speaking. "Somewhere...where I can't even read the menu. Everyone orders blindly and lets fate deal their hand. No picky eaters invited."

Scorpius smiled, slightly devious. "Sorry, Al."

Rose chuckled; thinking of Albus's deliberate aversion for anything tasting remotely avantgarde. "He can sit in a corner and serenade us."

Scorpius nodded; bringing a hand to his face. "Dancing anyplace in particular?"

Rose tried not to be distracted as his thumb absently traced the edge of his lip. _Merlin, she was pathetic._

"You know me…", she murmured; shrugging, "I'll dance anywhere."

"True.", he chuckled "Dancing Queen."

She wrinkled her nose; her mind flashing back to early days of rambunctious partying. "My _song_."

"Young and... sweet?", he joked, coyly.

"No longer 17…", she sighed, absently. "But, I think I'm alright with that."

He cleared his throat; "Were you always a dancer? Up on stage doing pirouettes, like Jane?"

He nodded his head towards the navy curtains.

"Absolutely not…I was terrified to have anyone notice me!", she cried; shaking her head vigorously.

"I learned to dance when I got older…", she cheeked, mimicking his earlier sentiment.

He smirked. "Hmm…"

 _Oh holy hell._ Something about the way he was looking at her; that bloody smirk on his face, made her blush so furiously she didn't know what to do.

She busied herself; looking down at the now-wrinkled program in her hand.

"I can't believe I forgot my own birthday…", she said; her eye catching the date again.

He chuckled, giving her a wary look.

"I can't believe you'd prefer to do something as _banal_ as drinks and dancing on your _birthday_.", he teased; raising a brow.

"Ass." Her lips pursed; hiding a smile. "You have a better idea?"

"For _your_ birthday?"

"Yes.", she yawned; wiggling again to try and find a comfortable position in the decidedly _uncomfortable_ seats. "Plan my birthday, while I try not to fall asleep."

"You can sleep if you need to.", he said quietly; cocking his head to the side. "I promise I won't let you miss your sister _tap-dancing_."

She wished she hadn't turned in that moment; finding his earnest gaze a little too much to handle.

"I'm not going to make you sit through a _children's_ dance recital by yourself.", She nudged. "I'm not _that_ cruel."

 _Cruel._ Her voice caught on the final word; bringing her thoughts back to their blustery confessions on the beach. She thought of his eyes; searching and pleading. _Maybe she was that cruel._

"For your birthday…", he ruminated; bringing her out of her thoughts. His hand was back to his chin, somewhat lost in thought. "New York. Maybe a museum or two. Enough time to get lost somewhere that strikes your fancy… Then tickets to see either…"

He turned to her; narrowing his eyes as if to size her up.

"The Pixies Cornish or maybe Etta Erkling…"

Rose laughed; "Very nostalgic."

He nodded; obviously pleased with his choice in artist.

"And then a portkey to La Magie.", his voice became low again; a hair above a _bashful_ tone. "Basile's obviously done up the place. All your friends and family are there…"

Scorpius's voice trailed off; his eyes lowering. Rose tried to fight the wave of sentimentality that followed his careful description.

"Sounds like a dream…", she mused; her eyes focusing again on the pamphlet in front of her.

A weighty silence sat between them. _It doesn't have to be a dream_ , it said.

Everything, from the moment she had broken down and helplessly reached for his hand back at her mother's house, had been encroaching on a decidedly dangerous place for the two of them.

It was too easy, too beautiful. As they sat together, sleepily trekking through the beginnings of a ballet performance and shifting in uncomfortable chairs, the pomp of their connection was stripped bare.

He was not famous, she was not responsible. There was no girlfriend, no band mates, no record label, no family, no cameras...just them; talking and laughing.

And it was the happiest she had felt in ages.

"For _your_ birthday…", the words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

"Because we've been in our seven month coma.", he nodded; unaware of the boldness of her statement.

"Exactly.", she laughed; a cover for her nerves. "I think I'd plan something _very_ refined."

She felt pride at the slight flush in his cheeks. Rose mused; trying to place her friend in a location she knew she'd find him smiling.

"Something where you can wear a really nice suit…You look great in a suit-", she let slip. "Maybe the Berlin Symphony…"

She looked back to him; gauging her assessment of his celebratory desires. His brow was arched with impress. _Were the tips of his ears pink as well?_

"Or we'd go to Japan!", she gasped suddenly, her eyes alighting. "Whiskey tasting at a Qilin distillery…"

"Trying to get me drunk?", he teased; moving slightly forward.

 _Was he flirting with her?_

"I think you're a _fancy-boy_ at heart.", she chuckled; ignoring a slight flare in heartbeat. "You can't outrun your Malfoy sensibilities."

He lowered his voice; taking on an effectively posh tone. " _Darling_ …"

 _Oh, he was definitely flirting with her._

Rose giggled; quite outside of her control. Being openly flirtatious was new territory for them.

"And then a parfait for dessert. Of course.", she said, rolling her eyes. "Somehow I'll stick 26 candles into it."

"It's perfect.", he sighed; his grin practically cheese-grating her heart. "I love my faux birthday."

"I love _my_ faux birthday.", she matched, quietly.

Scorpius let out a deep yawn; the true level of his exhaust coming to the surface.

" _You_ can't fall asleep!", Rose said, smacking his shoulder. "I'll never forgive myself if I miss Jane dancing."

"What happened to not letting me sit through this by myself?", he chuckled; running a hand against the rough stubble of his cheeks.

"That was five minutes ago.", she smirked; catching his yawn and stretching slightly. "I was more energized then."

He snorted, "Same for me. Offer's gone now. I'm taking a nap."

She opened her mouth in jest; and wiggled back down into her previously lounging position.

"Not if I fall asleep first.", she quipped, poking a tongue out and closing her eyes.

"Saboteur.", she heard him gravel; his head resting again against the wood of the auditorium seat.

Something about the exchange she found incredibly funny; worthy of biting back a giggle or two. After a moment, Rose heard an overdramatic snore come from his side

"Oh, you _shit_.", she cackled

She caught him grinning; his eyes still closed. "Don't swear, we're in a church."

"We're in a _primary_ school.", she sighed; her voice filled with mock exasperation.

They were silent again. Rose took to resting her head against an outstretched palm. She could hear Scorpius shifting beside her.

"Don't read into this-", he said, cooly.

"Read into-?" She looked back to him. He had removed his knit jumper; carefully folding it so it propped between the two of them. He made a motion with his head, one beckoning her to rest against the makeshift pillow.

Another bold move. It seemed this evening was filled with them.

"I happen to have a very comfortable shoulder.", he teased; his jovial tone masking a slight trepidation behind his eyes.

She smirked, leaning her head down to perch lightly against the knit cushion. It _was_ more comfortable. No- _comfortable_ wasn't the right word. _Perfect, transcendent, euphoric_. Those were much better words.

"Not reading… Just sleeping…", she mumbled.

Her eyes closed; his scent wrapping her up in daydream. She attributed her lowered guard to her state of exhaustion. If she was in her right mind, she wouldn't be so overwhelmed by the vein of physical closeness they were currently experiencing.

They were silent again, both simply breathing in the intimacy of the moment. She felt her heartbeat slow; feeling an anxious weight she had been carrying begin to lift. Her exhaustion applied, lulling her into a trance-like state. She felt his head drop, coming to rest on her frazzled, auburn curls.

This passed for a time or two more. For a moment, she thought he may have fallen into actual sleep. She heard him say something; pulling her out of her drowsy cocoon.

"Your family-"

"-hmm?"

He was thoughtful, as if their silent interlude had brought out the words he wanted to say.

"They're… They're just filled with love. She could feel him sigh against her. "I hope you know that."

She was quiet, taking in his words. The mention of her family made her tense. She didn't want to think about the chaos that they had only narrowly avoided, or the dreaded proceedings that were taking place the following afternoon.

"I just think about how it was when my grandad passed…", he continued. "No one cried, or wanted to look at pictures. It was so silent."

Rose let his words settle. Her relationship to death was so complicated, she sometimes forgot it was something others had experienced as well. _Would she rather the silence? Would she rather no one spoke of the beloved that had passed?_

"My family is _quite_ the opposite of quiet.", she mumbled; unwittingly adjusting herself against his shoulder. It was a move _one_ might interpret as a cuddle. Fortunately, Scorpius didn't seem phased.

"I could tell you were losing it; back at the house.", he admitted.

"Was it that obvious?", she sighed, brought fully back to the reality of their evening.

"Hmm…", he thought. She could hear an apprehension in his voice. "I'm going to out myself as an apt observer of your moods…"

She looked towards him, his eyes were warm. "You think you can read me so easily?"

"I should.", he laughed. "I've known you for almost a decade."

Rose narrowed her eyes, as if to search for the truth behind his claim. It wasn't as if she thought he was lying, she just didn't believe she was someone who wore her thoughts on her face.

"I can't read your mind.", he said, his eyes shifting down at her. "But I can usually guess when you're fine, versus when you're about to have a full-fledged mental breakdown."

She nodded; laughing a bit to herself.

"I find you exhaustingly unreadable.", she breathed; realizing the truth in her words as soon as they were out of her mouth. He was _so_ unreadable to her.

"Exhaustingly?", he seemed slightly charmed by the abrupt nature of her confession.

She laughed, "It's tiresome."

Rose moved, sitting back up from her barely-nap and cracking her neck lightly. She looked at him again; putting pains to confirm her inability to understand his emotional inner workings.

"Well, I'm sorry.", he sighed with a chuckle. "It's never my intent to exhaust you."

 _Exhaust you_. How she wished she hadn't chosen that exact moment to try and read what was going on beneath his silvery orbs. It was _very_ clear where his mind went upon uttering the seemingly innocent words.

She knew, because her mind; her silly, sleepy, punched-out mind went to the exact same place. Their eyes darted from one another. Rose was suddenly very aware of much she _wouldn't_ mind being exhausted by him in a... certain way.

She coughed; hoping the sinister thoughts that were now rampaging through her mind had not manifested in a swatch of color painted across her cheeks. Maybe he wasn't so difficult for her to read… Maybe it was her own willful indifference that chose to be perplexed by him. Look at where probing his mind had gotten her tonight...

Thankfully, _mercifully_ , the lights in the auditorium went down and the mingling crowd slowly drifted into anticipatory silence.

"Oh my, the show is _starting_.", she heard him whisper.

A woman walked onto the stage -Rose assumed it was a director of some sorts- spouting affirmations of all the parents and students who had worked hard to make this show possible. With the lights low, and the woman's particular drone, she found it particularly difficult to pay attention.

She looked down at her program, searching for Jane's name amongst the crowded text. Her eyes drifted, becoming distracted by the curve of his hands against the darkened auditorium seat. Her mind wandered; the ease of their conversation unlocking a certain alcove of memories she was normally constantly attempting to keep at bay. There had always been something particularly enticing about his hands. They were large, with long fingers; the tips of which were slightly calloused from years of deftly sliding along guitar strings.

She would often find her gaze drawn to those hands; finding them an endearing target of admiration due to the ease with which she could go unnoticed. Most of the time, she didn't realize she had been staring, until something else caught her attention. Like the night at _La Magie..._

It would jar her; making her insides slightly unsettled. She would chalk the unconscious obsession up to a natural physical response; something she couldn't avoid, even if she tried.

But now; in the dimness, with her inhibitions lowered and the strange territory they had begun to encroach on, she found herself slightly mesmerized by the benign alabaster palm curved away from her.

She now knew the feel of those hands. The calloused tips had traced the curve of her jaw. The flat expanse of his palms had gripped her waist. And she had adored it. She allowed her body to trickle with feeling; indulging, for a moment, in the memory of the evening prior.

She wondered if he was thinking of it too. Of their mingled lips and desperate sighs. _Exhaust you._ It made her cheeks warm. It made her chest constrict. It made a tender sort of electricity ache through her. It made her feel a little out of control.

They were sitting so close, their knees only a slight breath away from leaning against one another. Her mind wandered further; indulging in a slight thought. What if she rested her hand on his outstretched knee? Would he move away? Would he look at her with disdainful confusion?

Or would he slide his palm against hers; allowing their fingers to silently wrap around one another? Would it be as easy as that? She was having trouble reminding herself what was so intently keeping her from him.

Tiny dancers began to trot on stage; the off-key plink of the piano signaling their small leaps and plie's. The first group, younger than Jane, were a sight to behold. Parents whipped out phones and video cameras; capturing the juvenile performance with _ooh's and aww's_. Occasionally, a dancer of two would lose focus, drifting to search for familiar faces in the audience.

Rose found herself laughing along with the enraptured adults. There was something so small and precious about this moment. She looked up, finding Scorpius enamored as well. He was breaking out into laughs with her. Their complicated world felt so far away.

The next group came on stage- Jane's class. Rose and Scorpius whooped and hollered along with the rest of the families as the little dancers took their beginning positions. Jane was beaming; her little body trembling with excitement.

Scorpius leaned down; whispering to Rose, "I particularly like the lad with no hands…"

She turned to where his eyes were pointed; a young boy whose jacket was at least two sizes too big for him was perched in first position, the sleeves of which were well past his fingertips.

Rose covered her mouth, stifling a riotous laugh. He looked _too_ pleased at her amused response.

She elbowed him fiercely; leaning in to whisper back, "Do _not_ make me lose it. I will end you."

He bit his lip and nodded, looking back at the stage.

The dance started; triggering the army of videographers to begin filming again. The performance was adorable; this group tackling roughly the same steps as the dance prior. This time, with higher leaps and a spin or two added.

"Thank- _merlin_ they aren't performing Pirates of Penzance…", she felt him whisper in her ear. Again, in reference to the poor boy flopping about without a hand to be seen.

She whipped her head towards him; her expression of mock-rage only aiding in the heat of their recent exchange. She couldn't help it. She burst into laughter; thankfully muffling the sound with the sleeves of her sweater.

That was all it took for both of their resolves to be completely shot. The remainder of the show; intermission included, was punctuated by attempts in making the other dissolve into hysterics. It was their old way of communicating, but this time with an added warmth -an added sincerity.

They might have been shushed a few times by a weary dance patron, and caused more of a disturbance that they had initially intended to, but somehow they didn't care. On more than one occasion, her arm had leaned into his and stayed there; melting into one another for a moment. And, on more than one occasion, their eyes had met. Both of them leaning into the emotional undercurrent of their present circumstances; the laughter unlocking secret words she held on the tip of her tongue.

The show ended and they went to go retrieve Jane. She was bubbling over; her body bouncing so wildly Rose wondered how she managed to stay so composed on stage.

"You were wonderful!", she cried; scooping her sister up and swinging her round.

"I didn't even mess up!", shouted Jane; her volume stirring a tremor of laughter from those around her.

Rose kissed Jane on the cheek. "I'm so proud of you."

Jane twisted in Rose's arms, leaning towards the blonde boy beside her.

"Did you like my dance, _Scorpie?",_ she crooned, blinking her long lashes at him.

"Like it?", he cried, in mock-affect, "You're a _star,_ Janie."

She blushed; dropping her head onto Rose's chest. " _W-eally?"_

He reached behind him, "In fact…"

A moment later, a large bundle of flowers was procured and handed to Jane.

"I think a performance that good deserves a bouquet…", he gave Rose a slight wink. She tried not to completely fall into a puddle of adoration.

Jane gasped; her tiny arms barely wrapping around the expanse of the arrangement.

"Thank-you…", she whispered; looking at the handsome, older boy with awe.

 _Same, Janie._ Rose thought to herself, as she mouthed a quick thank-you to Scorpius. _Same._

"Bye Brie! Bye Annie! Bye Will… Bye Miss Otani!" Jane shouted as they walked down the steps leading out of the auditorium.

"Bye Charlotte, Bye Paige!", she continued, her hands waving furiously as the trio made their way through the small crowd of families. "Bye Maya! Bye Mia-"

"You have so many friends!", Rose laughed; watching her little sister have something to say to practically everyone who walked by.

Jane just beamed up at her; catching the eye of another little dancer who was leaving.

"Bye Jane!", the girl cried, giving her a hug.

"Bye _Jane!_!", her sister giggled, squeezing her back.

"We're both named Jane!", she squealed, looking at Rose as if to say, _Can you believe it?_ "She's Jane S. and I'm Jane T."

Rose almost died from how charming it was, "How incredible…"

Jane looked back at her friend; her eyes large and inquisitive. "Is your Gran dead too, Jane?"

Rose widened her ow. eyes; making slightly startled eye-contact with the parents of Jane S.

Jane S. furrowed her brow, "Not my Granny. But my Nana died a _long_ time ago. I think when I was three..."

"My Gran died yesterday.", said Jane, simply; as if one was stating a fact about the color of the sky, or the day of the week. "Rose's Gran is dead too. We have the same Gran."

The parent of Jane S. gave Rose a surprised, but sympathetic look.

"I'm her sister…", Rose reasoned, awkwardly; giving Scorpius a covertly pained look.

They murmured pleasantries and exchanged names. Rose was a little stunned by the cavalier nature of Jane's explanations. In a way it was calming. The exuberant spirit of her young sister was` handling the passing of her beloved Gran with a simplicity and curiosity Rose admired.

Granted, Rose and Jane were different people and the loss of a father was arguably more drastic than a grandparent dying. However, watching this child be able to experience boundless joy while in the midst of grief, was a strangely cathartic moment for Rose.

Jane waved a final goodbye to her name-twin after a fair amount of swapping _other_ things in their lives that had died as well; _dogs, birds, uncles, etc._

The air was crisp outside. Not cold enough to warrant any thermal outerwear, but chilly enough to make Rose clutch her sweater a little tighter to her chest.

They walked the length of the parking lot in silence; Jane twirling and leaping in front of them. She was humming to herself, lost in her own little world. It made Rose smile.

It felt good to stretch her legs. It felt better to walk next to the tall boy ambling to her left. It felt _even_ better to occasionally bump into him; the warm contact alighting her insides momentarily.

Jane paused suddenly, turning to her temporary guardians with question.

"Are we going home now?"

Rose tensed. _Yes, but I really don't want to._ The blissful few hours she had spent cocooned in the innocent fantasy world of her and Scorpius, was coming to an end.

"Yes, I-"

"-I think…", Scorpius cut in; moving closer to Rose. "We can't possibly go home yet…"

She gave him a quizzical stare.

"-Until we've had something to celebrate such an incredible performance…"

Jane's eyes lit up, "Yes?"

Scorpius gave Rose a quick look. "I was thinking… ice cream?"

Jane squealed, launching herself towards Scorpius and hugging his leg.

"Ice cream, Ice c-weam!", she screamed; her joy incomprehensible.

Rose looked at her friend; her turning heart coming to a fullness that scared her.

"Scorpie, I love you!", Jane continued to cheer, "I love you!"

 _Same, Janie,_ Rose lamented; unable to hide from herself in the moment. _Same._

—

The house was quiet when they walked in. The warmth of the fireplace curled around the bundled trio. Rose felt a grateful twinge towards her mother.

They had stayed out late; allowing Jane to go wild at the ice cream parlor. Once they had practically closed down the creamery, they simply drove around the surrounding neighborhood. They listened to songs, told stories and wondered about the lives of people living in the brick homes, as her little sister drifted to sleep in the back seat. It was quietly peaceful. He knew she didn't want to go back to the familial madness, so he found new routes to take, new songs to play, new stories to tell… Until it was time to go back home.

Jane stirred slightly in her arms at the close of the door. A soft light could be seen from the expanse of the darkened entryway. Rose assumed it was the flicker from the lit hearth, but as she walked further she came upon a small cake dancing with enchanted candles.

For a moment, she feared she would soon be overwhelmed by members of her family shouting "surprise" at her and throwing confetti her way.

Luckily, it seemed whoever had put together the birthday accoutrement was less inclined in terms of celebration. She shifted Jane in her arms; letting out a light breath of relief.

Scorpius was behind her. She turned; her voice laced with suspicion.

"Did you-?"

He held his hands up; softly laughing, "I didn't. I swear… This was all Weasley."

The candles continued to dance, spelling out words in a lazy, looping pattern.

"We… Are… Sorry…", Rose read; quietly in time to the shifting message. "We… Forgot…"

She snorted, shaking her head. "They're _so_ ridiculous."

"Happy… Birthday… Rose.", Scorpius finished; chuckling down at the cake.

Rose shifted Jane in her arms again. Admittedly, the tiny dancer was getting pretty heavy. Carrying a sleeping six-year-old around; even one as slight as Jane, was no easy feat.

"Here", Scorpius said; deftly scooping Jane out of her grasp. "Let me take her."

Jane stirred for a moment on the transfer; lifting her eyes sleepily and croaking, " _Scorpie…"_

She then let her head fall on his shoulder, encircling her arms around his neck and sighing back to sleep.

"She's in love…", Rose whispered; laughing lightly.

He held her gaze for a moment; the light from the swirling candles causing a warm glow to curve off the shadows of his cheekbones. Rose felt herself breathe a deep breath. He looked so _handsome_.

This time, it was him who broke eye-contact first. He looked down at the cake; noticing a propped bit of paper adjacent to it.

"Someone's written you a card…"

She grabbed the parchment; a thicker rectangle falling out of it.

" _We realized as soon as Aunt 'Mione looked at the calendar. I guess now we're even..._

 _I found this going through the photos and I thought you'd want to have it._

 _XO Lily_

 _p.s. Not much has changed. Just remember that."_

Rose furrowed her brow; a bit perplexed by Lily's slightly cryptic words in her post script.

She grabbed the thicker rectangle; flipping it over to reveal a moving picture made up of three very familiar faces.

She brought a hand to her mouth, "Oh.."

Held in her grasp were the beaming faces of she, Albus and Scorpius. Younger, sillier and with admittedly more terrible hair. They were clinging onto one another; seemingly caught in the middle of immense amusement.

The three of them swayed slightly; laughing at whatever the person behind the camera was instructing them to do. Rose in the middle; the boys plastered on either side of her.

She was shaking her head; her eyes narrowing with mirth. She then turned; whispering something into Scorpius's ear. He laughed, his movement bending the trio forward.

"Actual children…", Scorpius sighed; coming in behind her to look at the photo. "I can't believe you ever let Al have an eyebrow piercing."

Rose shook her head; her eyes dancing over the photograph with a strange mixture of sweetness and sorrow.

"We must have been barely graduated…", she said; flipping the photo over to search for the date.

"My hair is at its peak in terms of achieved volume.", Scorpius teased, "So I'd venture to guess you're about right."

She flipped the photo back; the image timing to the moment where Rose whispered something into Scorpius's ear.

"What do you think I'm saying to you?", she mused; watching them barrel over with laughter again.

Scorpius was quiet; his eyes half-lidded. "Is it pathetic that I remember _exactly_ what you said to me?"

"You do _not._ ", she countered; her eyes narrowing.

"I do…", he said nodding guiltily, "I remember this moment very clearly…"

"I don't remember exactly who was taking the photo, but they were saying something along the lines of ' _look nice'_ or _'pretend like you like each other.'..._ Or something similar. And you said to me _'Let's give Al the finger'_ "

Rose gasped; her eyes alighting in slight horror.

"I did _not._ "

"You did. I swear!", he smirked. "Watch it again."

They watched it through together; Rose taking pains to watch the whisperings of her profile. Sure enough, a clear outline of her mouth whispered the devious machinations into Scorpius's ear.

"Oh, what a little brat!", she cried; making sure to keep her volume low enough to not disturb Jane or the household at large.

Scorpius chuckled; a deep, earthy laugh direct from his center. It travelled all the way up to his eyes; leaving Rose momentarily distracted.

"Are you joking? Far from a brat. I bet Al absolutely deserved it…"

She smiled, watching the scene play over again. There was a brief capture that kept catching her eye. It was the split second before they dissolved into laughter, once Rose had pulled away from her whisperings.

In the photo, they looked at each other for a moment; a moment so small, it could have been missed. But she didn't miss it. In fact, it was clearer and more relevant to her than ever before. It was a look of pure, unadulterated affection.

 _Not much has changed. Just remember that._

She found her fingers tracing the outline of their two juvenile forms; resting almost tenderly against the frame of her young, blonde counterpart. If she had been wrestling a growing depth of feeling the entire evening; this here was the penultimate moment.

"No wonder everyone thought we were dating…", she whispered; aware of what an unflinching statement she was bringing between the two of them.

He was silent; firmly watching the scene play out as well. They stared together; watching younger versions of themselves caught in a forever loop of carefully calibrated adoration.

"It's a little obvious in this display, isn't it?", he smirked.

She felt the two of them transported to a precipice. One they had been on the verge of careening down before. They had been on this precipice the night of the party. They'd been on it last night, on the beach. It was one she had ran from; one she had been _so_ terrified to even look down.

However, something had shifted within her. She felt bolder, more determined in the flickering candlelight.

She looked down at the table; steeling her nerves enough to say the words she needed to say.

"I'm- I'm so-", she choked; the cake comically choosing that moment to read the word ' _Sorry."_

 _She was so sorry._

She looked up; her eyes begging him to read her, see through her, like he always did. His face was soft. His eyes were hopeful; his mouth twisting into the hint of a smile.

"Hey…", he said, his free hand grabbing lightly at the skin on her wrist. " _You're_ the one who loves me, remember?"

Oh, she could have kissed him. She _wanted_ to kiss him. _Why_ wasn't she kissing him?

She looked back down; now embarrassed in a divine sort of way.

"You want to raid my mum's liquor cabinet and help me eat this cake?", she whispered; her eyes welling with feeling. "I kind of feel like celebrating."

"Nothing in the world would make me happier…"

—-

Her mum, the refined woman she was, had little in terms of alcohol that ranged higher than a Pinot Nior.

It didn't matter. She grabbed two bottles from the farthest reaches; ones she imagined had been purchased for a book club or a luncheon and hadn't been touched since; and scooped the still-lit cake into an open hand.

She liked the shifting shapes it made, and the way it illuminated the stairway as they made their trek to Jane's room.

They managed to place her into bed; removing her slippers and covering her up without waking her.

" _Oh,_ to be six…", she sighed; softly whispering to Scorpius in the doorway. "And fall asleep at an ice cream parlor, and have someone carry you home and tuck you into bed."

"She's the luckiest girl in the world…", he teased back, grinning down at her.

The door to her own bedroom was ajar; a soft light spilling out from it.

It felt strange to be inside the small space; the angled ceiling and twin bed feeling strikingly tiny in comparison to what she recalled.

"You know, I've never been in here before…"

She turned. Scorpius was leaning against the doorway; his large frame a stark contrast to the cramped feeling of the childhood bedroom,

"Never?"

He shook his head; a devious smirk on his face. There was that look, again. The one she felt right beneath her ribcage. She fought back a blush; raising a brow instead.

"Well…", she crooned; widening her arms. "Would you like the grand tour?"

He rolled his eyes ever so subtly. "Would I ever?"

He stepped in past the doorway; hands in his pockets. "It's been a real dream of mine to peruse the poster-covered sanctuary that is... _was_ your teenage bedroom."

She wrinkled her nose, "Don't be an ass, Malfoy. This is a _real_ privilege."

A palm came to his chest, "Oh, the last name comes _out."_

"Shut it.", She fought a smile; taking a moment to admire how the low light of the room aided in pronouncing the angled curve of his jawbone. "Do you want the tour or not?"

He bit his lip; leaning against a mirrored dresser. " _Please._ Give me the tour."

She cleared her throat; moving a total of two steps to her left.

"Here is my bed…", she began; sweeping over the patchwork quilt with flare. "I did a _lot_ of rage-filled screaming into this _very_ pillow when I was younger."

She moved to a shelf, housing a startling mess of books, records and various pieces of nondescript papers.

"Here is my bookshelf..", she giggled; almost tripping over the carpet. "Don't go looking for anything in here...you may not come out alive."

He chuckled; watching her with tender amusement. It made her insides feel molten.

"What you're so _casually_ leaning against, is my dresser…", she moved; plopping herself down on the rug situated in the center of the room. "I keep things like...shirts-"

She paused; grabbing a bottle and beginning to uncork it. "- and _undergarments_ in there."

That got a laugh out of him; also possibly the faintest hint of a blush…

"And here-", she motioned, finally freeing the aforementioned cork from its holder "-is my rug. Where we will sit and drink wine out of coffee cups and eat cake and… try not to think about the fact that we're going to a funeral tomorrow…"

He moved to sit down as well; registering the macabre ending of her monologue with a twist of his mouth and a knowing look behind his eyes.

She poured the wine into the two mugs she had quickly swiped from the kitchen. Hers read "I Got Inked At Flourish & Blotts", his read "Witchy Woman".

They clinked their inscribed ceramics together; both taking generous sips from the cups in question.

After a moment, Scorpius turned; his gaze registering on a large case partially hidden in the corner of the room.

"What's that?", he quipped; a devious look on his face. "I don't recall that being part of your grand tour…"

Rose groaned. "That- Is none of your business."

His eyes lit up; launching for the large case.

"No, please don't-", she started; pressing a palm to her warmed cheeks.

"It's a guitar…", he said slowly, giving her a perplexed little grin.

She scrunched her face; taking another generous sip of wine. "You are correct."

His eyes narrowed, "You don't play guitar…"

"You are even _more_ correct."

"Why do you have a guitar?", he challenged; his eyes shining in the candlelight.

She bit her lip. "Like I said before. _None_ of your business."

"No, no, no…", he delighted; moving back down on the rug. Now, conveniently closer to her. "You've got a guitar and you don't play guitar… There's a reason."

She rolled her eyes; taking another sip from her mug. "I'm not telling!"

He clasped his hands together; his eyes drooped into soft puppy-dog affect. "Please."

It was honestly pathetic how little convincing it took once his eyes were on her like that.

"Maybe…", she started; beginning to feel the buzzy effects of the alcohol. "Maybe, I was mad _someone_ told me I never contributed anything to the band and I attempted to learn just to prove him wrong…"

"Who told you that?", he cried.

She gave him an obvious look; nodding her head in his direction.

" _I_ told you that?", He was horrified.

She cackled; enjoying the drainage of color that came over his face. "Yes. Back when we were first starting."

He shook his head; downing another large gulp from his glass in the process. "I'm so sorry."

She patted his cheek; her inhibitions lowered. "I forgive you."

"Did you ever learn?", he cleared his throat; drinking more wine.

"Of course not!", she laughed. "I learned _one_ song and gave up. My fingers refused to callous."

He nodded, his silver eyes sparkling. "So, you tried learning guitar, just to spite me?"

"Hmm…", she mused; taking another sip and feeling bold. "Maybe more to impress you?"

A flush of his cheeks. If someone told her he'd ever be stretched out on her bedroom floor; looking at her in the way he was, she'd have thought they were crazy.

"Will you play it for me?"

"-play what?"

His finger traced the rim of his mug. "The one song you learned."

" _Absolutely not."_ , she cried; laughing. "I just admitted a treacherous secret about our past. I'm not going to embarrass myself and out my nonexistent skills as a musician."

He pursed his lips; eyeing her in an admittedly disarming way.

"I'll tell _you_ a secret…", he offered, daringly.

She felt a thrill run through her. _Oh, that's a dangerous game to play, Scorpius Malfoy._

"This is _not_ a bartering system.", she grinned; relishing in the warmth now pooling beneath her rib cage.

He was earnest. "Half the music in my library is because of your suggestions. You have unquestionable taste in music."

She shook her head; hiding a flush of feeling. She leaned back; propping herself against the side of her bed.

"That's not a secret, that's a fact.", she teased, biting her lip.

"Fine…", he sighed; leaning against the bed as well; their arms flush against one another. "What do you want to know? I'll tell you anything…"

 _A very, very dangerous game to play, Scorpius Malfoy._ She thought, her mind dancing with possibilities.

"Hmmm…", she mused; her buzzy brain drifting through a myriad of less-than-appropriate possibilities. She settled for the least daring.

"When, where and with whom did you lose your virginity to?"

"Ha!", he cackled; surprised and pleased by her question. She did not miss the way he leaned into her slightly; their movements aided by the wine. "Do you _not_ know this? I thought for sure we'd have talked about it by now."

She shook her head; her grin devious.

"Wendy Albern. Summer after 5th year.", he cringed, slightly. "My...bedroom?"

"Ack, _Wendy?_ She's awful.", cried Rose; wrinkling her nose.

"And she _was!"_ , he laughed; finishing his mug. _"_ But, like most sixteen year olds, I had ground-level standards."

She laughed again, bringing her knees to her chest and finishing off her drink as well. She felt _so_ pleasantly warm; it made her almost want to sing.

"Yours?", she heard him ask over the swell of her intrepid thoughts.

"I thought we were bartering secrets.", she quipped; nudging him slightly. "Now we're even!"

"Humor me.", he groaned. _Oh Merlin, he was not allowed to look at her like that._

She cringed; her mind flitting to the act in question. "Summer after 6th year. My grandparents guest bedroom. An Australian boy named Dean."

"Last name?", he questioned, raising a brow.

She looked up to the ceiling. "Never got it…"

"Rose _Weasley_!", he whispered in mock horror.

"Come _on_. We were both completely bonkers when we were younger.", she laughed; smacking his outstretched knee. "Shagging someone who's last name I never knew is the least salacious thing I've managed to do."

He smirked; giving her a deliriously devious grin "True."

They stared at each other for a moment. Rose let her hand fall lightly beside him.

"Who would have thought we'd end up spending our evenings at ballet recitals and ice cream parlors.", she said; gently dropping her eyes.

She heard him chuckle. When she looked back up, he was giving her that _look_ again.

"Play me the song.", he commanded.

She shook her head; her rosy cheeks deepening in color "You'll need to get me drunker."

"Hmm.", he mused; leaning forward and stretching out on the rug they were seated on.

Rose felt herself wholly possessed by the slight bit of abdomen that she could see, exposed beneath his t-shirt.

The warmth from the light of the candles and the wonderfully smoldering effect of the alcohol were beginning to take their hold. She ran a hand through her hair; freeing it from the constraints of the elastic.

"Do you feel like eating cake?", she asked; her volume of curls falling around her.

"Do you?", he looked up; his eyes glinting slightly. She caught the way his gaze roamed her features.

"I'm not very hungry…" she whispered.

"Me either."

She stretched as well; lying on the rug opposite him. She fanned out the auburn tendrils; stretching her legs out and groaning slightly. Her body was, admittedly, exhausted. However, she was _far_ from tired.

"Witchy woman…", she heard Scorpius sigh.

Their heads were next to one another; legs stretched in opposite directions. She could not see his expression; but the closeness of their positioning allowed her to hear the rumble of his voice and feel the warmth from his person.

"Hmm?", she said; absently making patterns in her mind with the glowing stars she had charmed to stick to her ceiling many years ago

Scorpius cleared his throat; his face also glued to the high ceiling. "I used to dream about you…"

Her eyes flew wide. "Sorry?"

"I owe you a secret." His voice was low; maybe deliberately. Maybe he was exhausted. Either way, she felt a rush of heat burn through her. "My secret is that I used to dream about you…"

She bit her lip; half agonizing, half anticipating his response "In what way?"

"The _best_ way.", he crooned. If she could see his face, she knew she'd find him smirking.

 _The voice was definitely deliberate._

"Oh _Merlin.",_ she giggled; bringing a hand to her face. She was thankful he could not look directly at her; she was sure she looked identical to a tomato.

"I've managed to get it under control, don't worry.", he teased; letting out a light laugh. "But when we first started touring… It was bad."

"Bad?", she bit her lip; her mind flitting to memories of their mornings together. If she'd had any idea...

" _Really bad."_ , His voice was hoarse.

She could feel her nerve-endings flicker with anticipatory fervor. Their warm confessions we're building into something even _she_ couldn't fight.

"You do this thing-", she felt the words fall out of her mouth; a fuzzy sort of observation coming to her mind.

"Hmm?"

"When you wake up- and you aren't in a _foul_ mood-", she began; bringing bashful hands to cover her eyes. "Where you sort of stretch…and make this sound."

The sound was a low groan; emitting from a primal, animal place she _knew_ existed within him. His person was normally one of careful restraint. It was only in those moment of waking where she felt the possibility of a more physical nature.

"It's rather…", she paused; unsure of the honesty she was willing to move forward with. "Unsettling"

She felt the smirk in his tone. " _Unsettling_?"

"You heard me…", she whispered; peeking at him through the cage of her finger tips. He was smiling; his eyes closed with contentment.

The building of feeling continued. She could sense the tension rise; the deepening of her breath mounting.

"I really like it when you wear your hair down…", he whispered, after a moment. They were still lain on the floor; eyes fixed on the ceiling above.

She flushed, unsure of how to handle the compliment bestowed. She felt like a thousand light bulbs were going off inside of her at once.

"I like your green jumper. It's actually my favorite color on you…", she supplied, smiling nervously.

"I like watching people underestimate you…", he sighed; stretching his arms above him. "That sounds funny… I enjoy watching you prove them wrong."

"What do you mean?"

He cleared his throat; reorienting himself on the carpet. "You just come in all charming and unassuming, and you completely shock people with how capable and smart you are."

"That's really kind, Scorpius.", she said; softly shifting her eyes to take in his profile.

He was sincere. "Well, I mean it."

"I like watching the world fall in love with you…", she breathed; thinking of how her heart would swell with pride when she would watch him on stage.

His mouth gave a funny quirk; almost embarrassed. She then had an intrusive vision of him and Angèle wrapped around each other...

She chuckled with mirth. "And I sort of hate it."

He turned to look at her; their faces mere centimeters apart. His mouth was pursed, eyes searching.

"I'm terrified by the fame…", his voice was barely above a whisper.

"What scares you?"

"I think losing myself…", he got out, looking down at the space between them. "It's so easy, but all of it feels so empty. I look at Albus-"

"-you can hardly compare yourself to Al…", she said; rolling her eyes.

His brows raised with intent "I mean, look at me last night. I called myself a 'fucking rock star'"

She grinned. "You _are_ a rock star."

It was his turn to roll his eyes; chuckling towards the ceiling again.

"It scares me too.", she confessed; combing the thread of the carpet with her finger. "I don't feel like losing you either. I already feel like _he's_ slipping out of my grasp…"

"Stop managing our careers so well...", he teased; absently grabbing a tendril of auburn hair.

"I can't help it...", she sighed; thinking suddenly of her conversation the day before with Ira. She shook it from her mind; feeling melancholic. "I'm a _real_ talent."

"You are.", he said, in a very no-nonsense way. "Don't sell yourself short."

"I hate this conversation.", she pouted; pushing the real world away from their sacred little space. "Tell me another secret."

He laughed; turning back to her. "You've managed to excavate most of my hidden desires…"

"No fun…" Her bottom lip protruded in a deliberate way; arising a flirty glint in his eye.

"What do you want to know?", he arched; shifting slightly towards her. "I'm putty in your hands, _Weasley."_

She preened. " _Oh_ , the last name comes out…"

The energy returned. They were _so_ close. So close it felt almost unreal. She wanted to reach out and run her fingers through his hair...wanted to feel his arm around her waist. _What did she want to know?_ How about, _if I kissed you right now, what would happen?_

"Hmm…", she said lamely; suddenly unable to look him in the eye. "Favorite song?"

"Impossible." He bit his lip.

 _Would he kiss her back? Would he grip her waist?_

"Fine. Favorite song to...", _dance to, kiss to, falll in love to,_ "… _shag_ to."

She slapped a hand over her mouth in horror.

"No, no- Don't listen to me.", she cried covering her eyes and shaking her head.

Scorpius looked as if he had just won the lottery; moving his body so he was propped on an elbow. "Feeling tipsy already?"

Her face was _bright_ red. "I'm _tired._ Let me live!"

He laughed; leaning in over her covered face "Did I hear you say _'I'm a pervert'_?"

She rolled over, burying her burning face in the carpet and staying there.

"Sorry, I can't hear you, I'm asleep.", her muffled voice could be heard.

"I don't have one.", she heard him sigh; the hint of a mischievous smile following. "I haven't discovered it...yet."

" _Merlin…_ " She buried herself further; unable to comprehend his implication.

"Play me the song."

"You're relentless.", she looked up; narrowing her eyes.

"I am." He was stalwart. Propped against her bed yet again. "It's part of my charm."

"It's not tuned.", she wrinkled her nose; sitting up.

He gave her a faintly offended look, as if to say _You think I can't tune a guitar?_

"-and, it's late! I don't want to wake anyone in the house.", She threw an arm in the air; pushing off the inevitable.

"They invented silencing charms for a reason, you know…", he supplied; sending an implicatory eyebrow raise her way.

She blushed again; leaning over her crossed legs to place her face in her hands. "Agh!"

His wand was out in a minute; throwing charms in each corner. When he was done he sat in front of her, an expected look on his face.

"I don't remember it.", she whispered.

"Yes you _do_.", he challenged, with a look at was _undeniably_ persuasive.

She cringed. "I bloody _hate_ you."

He gave her another look. One that clearly read ' _No you don't.'_

He grabbed the instrument and sat back down with in. His deft fingers went through, feeling and tightening the strings. The booze was now fully saturating her; her dizzy thoughts indulging in how impossibly handsome he looked; guitar pick between his teeth, the candlelight glinting of the rose of his cheeks.

He caught her staring. He didn't say anything, he just handed her the guitar back with a slightly rosier flush to his countenance.

She held the vessel in her lap; lightly plucking the open strings in succession. Her heart was beginning the beat in her chest; her performance anxiety beginning to kick in.

She let out a massive breath; closing her eyes and allowing the chord progression drift back into her mind.

She looked up at him for a second. His eyes were shining.

"Here's a little Elvis for ya, _baby_.", she teased; her fingers finding the strumming pattern. It came quicker than she thought it would. She began to feel the moody movement of the song; allowing it to take her.

 _Love me tender_

 _Love me true_

 _Never let me go_

She sang out the first measures.

 _You have made my life complete_

 _And I love you so…_

She was unwilling to admit how much she loved to sing; relishing in the turn of her voice over each note. Controlling the volume; holding breath when necessary. It lifted her to an entirely different place.

 _Love me tender_

 _Love me true_

 _All my dreams fulfilled_

 _For my darling,_

 _I love you._

 _And I always will…_

She kept her eyes closed throughout the _performance_ , admittedly afraid of the audiences eyes on her.

When she was done, she looked up; finding a strangely determined look on Scorpius's face. There was a curiosity to his gaze; as if she had suddenly become some mystery to him.

"Remind me again why you aren't on stage with us?", he asked; cocking a head to the side.

She rolled her eyes."Shut-up."

"No, I mean it.", he said; his earnest eyes making her feel beneath a microscope.

She looked to the side; thinking of her meager attempts at public performance. "Crowds don't agree with me."

"It was lovely.", he sighed; a raw honesty on his face. "Really lovely."

She felt suddenly very _warm_. Though they were feet apart; she felt the intimacy of the moment deep, deep within her. She leaned her head down; the cool wood of the guitar a relief in the heated proceedings.

"I'm _shy…"_ , she joked, using Jane's earlier sentiment. An apt comparison; she thought.

"I- I have a birthday present for you.", he said with trepidation.

She laughed; looking up. "You say it like it's a bad thing."

"It's not that." He wouldn't look at her; his hands were nervously playing with the rug. "I- I worry the timing is bad…"

She gave him an exasperated sigh, backed by an easy smile.

"Ah, I'll be back."

He left the room; she could hear him carefully walking down the stairs. It was strange to be in the space without him; even if for a moment. Everything had felt so wonderfully complete in their tiny sanctuary; she felt his momentary absence like a cold blast of air.

She shook her head; placing the guitar back in its case and stretching her legs.

"-okay, So…", he whispered; coming back into the room. "If it's too much, I won't take offense-"

"-just give me the damn gift…", she laughed; sitting on the edge of her bed.

He sat next to her; his hand nervously clasping something behind his back. She was surprised by the intensity with which he was exhibiting. This was obviously something very important to him.

He let out a breath; revealing a plain envelope and handing it to her. "I found it awhile back…"

She gave him a quizzical look; opening the envelope and pulling out the contents. It took a moment for her to comprehend, but when she finally did, she gasped; bringing a hand to her mouth.

"Oh, _Scorpius…"_

It was a newspaper clipping; protected in plastic, with a moving picture framed by text. The words were in Italian; but the image itself gave context to the absence of comprehension.

Visitatori Dall'Inghilterra: Capo Dell'Auror Ronald Weasley e Famiglia.

It was her father. He was speaking to an audience of people; beaming to the crowd. His eyes were lit with energy. He looked so alive; so happy.

"I found this back in Italy…", Scorpius explained; his voice shaky. "From what I can gather, your father was campaigning for Auror legislations…"

The picture changed; her father's gaze registering something out of frame. Suddenly, a small child was barreling onto stage; her red curls bouncing with each step.

Rose gasped again, "Is that-?"

Her father's face broke into a beam; stopping his speech altogether and scooping the child up in his arms.

"That's you, yes.", Scorpius answered; his voice soft.

She was speechless; her blue eyes beginning to mist over. The swell of emotion that rose from within her was unparalleled. To watch her father tenderly kiss her cheek; hold her close. It ached in a beautiful, bittersweet way.

"I figured-", Scorpius continued "You'd have seen most of the pictures of him… It might be nice to have one you haven't seen before."

Rose was completely taken back.

No one had ever given her a gift like this. No one had ever known her so dearly and so deeply. No one had been so dangerously thoughtful. _Oh_ , she loved him. She _loved_ him.

And he loved her. For some cosmically unparalleled reason, they had found and fallen for each other so truly and completely it was overwhelming.

"I can't believe-", she started, her eyes beginning to fill with tears.

His voice was a whisper "You like it?"

She looked up. He was so beautiful. So beautiful and she loved him and he loved her.

In her impulse of feeling, she threw her arms around him; burying her face in his neck and clinging as tightly as she possibly could. She felt the tears well further; his strong embrace being a haven for the bursting of emotion she was feeling for him.

She immediately felt his arms around her; pulling her closer, breathing her in. She could feel his errant heartbeat through his shirt. The heat coming from both their bodies was intoxicating and inordinate.

She felt her lips brush along the tender skin of his neck; the movement bringing a rush of blood to her core. She pressed a kiss -a gentle, delicate kiss- there, eliciting a tightening of his embrace on her.

"Why _me?"_ , she found herself whispering; the question breathed into the fabric of his tshirt.

He pulled back; his eyes filled with hopeful, purposeful longing.

"You're the best part about my life…", he choked out, placing those beautiful, alabaster hands on either side of her face. "I- I'm completely, utterly lost without you…"

She turned to the side; pressing a kiss to his palm. She looked back; the fiery depths of her affection mirrored in his eyes as well.

She heard her voice plead, "Please kiss me…"

"Rose-", he sighed, brushing her hair behind her ear with a sadness in his eyes. "I- I can't kiss you if you're going to run away again. It- it _wrecked_ me. It-"

She leaned in, silencing his doubts with an aching press of her lips against his..

 _I won't run away_ , she willed the kiss to say _, I can't run away. I love you._

He got the message; their fevered physical exchange becoming deeper and more visceral. All the beautiful, brilliant, built-up tension from the entire evening coming to a head in their hungry caresses.

She loved him. _Merlin, she bloody loved him._ In the morning, she would face the reality of what _they_ meant. She would face the world and all its harrowing reasons for keeping them apart. Tomorrow; she would think of it.

 _Right now_ , she thought; her body gripped with indulgent and ardent passion, the searing sweetness of his kisses leaving her breathless and desperate for more, _I'm just going to let myself be loved._

— _-_

Ahhhhhhh! They finally did it. They love each other.

If you don't review this chapter, I'll SCREAM. Jk. I just really hope you guys loved it.

I wanted the setting to be stripped of all the gravitas of their day-to-day lives, it was impossible for them not to see that they needed to be with each other. Also, his present? Do you die? I die.

This chapter had a big insight into Rose's sadness/relationship with death and with her father. It's a complicated thing to explore, but gosh does it make you feel for Rose.

I would love to know what you liked/disliked about the chapter! I'm excited to dive into the drama that the funeral will inspire. Lily and Albus can't help but draw attention to themselves.

Oh. And the playlist. This one means so much to me. I dreamed about this chapter for so long, there are SO many songs.

Back To The Old House - The Smiths

When The Family Flies In - Julia Jacklin

Really - Mimi Bay

Repeat Until Death - Novo Amor

True Love Will Find You In The End - Someone

The Other Side Of Mt. Heart Attack - Liars

Love Me Tender - Elvis (duh)

As always! Love you! You guys keep me inspired to write. Seriously!

Xoxoxo

Turnaroundeverynowandthen


	13. In

A short lil' steamy & dreamy chapter for you guys.

If you didn't notice already, I changed the rating to M. I won't ever get explicit ( _Although_ \- if you're into explicit, I've started a new story called _Fervor_ that stars our favorite duo. You should check it out), but these kids are in _love_ and in _lust_ so there's going to be some -uh- passionate content for the remainder of the story. Hope that doesn't turn anyone away!

Thank-you to nobodysperfect2133, catwomannnnnn1, StrawberryBlonde16, roseweasley394, meandering-bluebottle, FreyaWrackspurt, youveforgotten ,emeraldhead-crimsonheart (and all the amazing guests who leave reviews, I see you!), You are the the biggest supporters of this tale and I'll forever love every review you give!

Hope you love the sweetness!

Xoxo turnaroundeverynowandthen

In the fleeting, sweet-scented slumber she managed to acquire on that fateful, moonstruck evening, she dreamt of him. It seemed silly; with his deep sighs and long limbs wrapping her in closeness, their bodies curled up against one another beneath the heavy patchwork quilt of her childhood bed, but she dreamt of him.

She dreamt of his smile; glittering like late-afternoon sunlight. She dreamt of his hands; softly tracing wistful patterns on the skin of her forearm. She dreamt of his eyes; unfurling and unfolding in earnest; now fully able hope in the warm sunshine of their affection.

She did not deeply sleep. She was too bursting with feeling. Tremors of emotion kept thrilling through her; jolting her out of her indulgent dreaming. It was as if her mind had held all thought of him so tightly at bay, she could not calm the flooding of errant desire, now that they had allowed themselves the notion of fully having one another.

As the first trepidations of morning could be seen shining in through her small window, she felt herself shaken out of another sleeping menagerie. For a second, she feared the beautiful wanderings of her subconscious were all she could have of Scorpius Malfoy; that the evening they shared together was merely a dream, as well.

Then, she felt the weight of his arm dipping around her waist and dropping beside her; their hands absently clutched to one another. She heard the deep rumble of his chest; his breathing moving in rhythm with her own. She blinked; her eyes catching on the glint of the empty wine bottles…the uneaten cake…their outer garments strewn around the room haphazardly.

It was all real. She felt herself flush; the memory of the evening prior coming in like a rush. She had finally given in; finally jumped off the precipice. And he had jumped with her; hand in hand. It was exhilarating. And terrifying.

He let out a deep sigh behind her; his warm breath fluttering lightly at the base of her neck. Her eyes closed, allowing herself the space to remember their amorous exchange from only hours earlier. It had been breathtaking.

She had always thought of _that_ particular aspect of him in a blatantly objective sense. She knew he was handsome. She'd have to be raving mad to deny that notion of reality. But his _physicality_ , his visceral, animal nature; where tongues and limbs and sighs exchanged, she'd managed to keep at a deliberate distance.

She'd shake her head at the whisperings at school; at the gossiping machinations of the press; of the amorous admonitions from friends and family -mainly and most vocally, Louis. She'd shake her head and turn her thoughts to something less treacherous than the curve of his jaw; or the idea of their mingled bodies moving with one another in the throws of passion.

If she'd allowed herself to truly admonish just _how_ attracted she was to him, they probably would have been waking up, barely clothed, wrapped in eachothers arms much, much sooner.

Neither one of them had set out to end the evening in mutual bliss. The cramped quarters of her twin bed did not provide the most romantic backdrop, and most would not consider the whispered volume necessary for the lateness of the hour and the unorthodox setting to be ideal.

But to them, it was wholly perfect.

As their kisses deepened and grasps tightened and words became nonsensical and far between; she found herself becoming grounded and earnest in her movements. Before; when he had swept her in romance on the beach in California, she had felt so caught up in feeling, she was losing herself.

Last night, when the urgency of exchange spoke of a hungering question between the new lovers; Rose found herself aware of each soft touch; of each searing kiss. She was not floating away. He was holding her to the earth; tying her to beautiful, blissful reality.

She could hardly settle her insides.

She had been reckless and superficial with lovers when she was young -if one could even call them 'lovers'. Purely physical, with little desire to know more of them than how quickly they could get her off. Even with Alan; her longest and most banal relationship, she was rarely partial to more than a quick shag. At times; that's all she truly kept him around for. She was not interested in deepening gazes or loving sighs. She did not have time for languid kisses and fingers threading through hairs.

But last night…

She would never forget the molten lust his eyes held, hovering above her. She would never forget how the lightest graze from his fingertips left her aflame; practically begging for more.

Another deep sigh from him awoke the warm electricity of recollection. They way they had kissed and clung to one another as fabric was removed and buttons came undone...

" _So beautiful..."_ he had whispered; his gaze so helpless and _so_ wanting.

She had been completely at a loss for words. Their hands had laced through one another's. Every kiss was languid, every stare was filled with a heavy rapture of feeling. She was going against every instinct she had; and she had never felt such indescribable longing.

When the penultimate moment came, and their aching, searing bodies met at the apex of mutual delight, Rose felt her heaving chest burst with triumph at the way his eyes closed; his face awash with powerless desire. She couldn't believe she had the power to elicit that type of response from the boy in question.

Her arrival was quick; almost embarrassingly so. She felt his lips turn to a wicked and reverential grin as his mouth captured her gasping pants; her body clinging to him as the soft currents of fire shot through her. Her vision was stars and Scorpius Malfoy. It was exquisite.

When she had opened her eyes, her form still ringing, he was reaching down; lifting her and shifting the two of them till they were upright; perched and fastened against the other. They moved together; her elbows propped against the muscled plane of his shoulders, his arms gripping tightly around her waist. A hand moved to softly work into her auburn curls; gently guiding their deliberate pace. There was something so deeply intimate and delicately moving about the positioning. When he came undone beneath her, he tenderly bit out her name; burying his face in the crook of her neck and clutching to her as if his life depended on it.

It was a sound sweeter than she could have imagined.

As they lay back down together; spent and giddy in the ultimate, infinite undoing, Rose felt a deep welling of emotion within her. She was surprised to feel moving pricks beneath her lids; the corners of which shifted with unforeseen tears.

"Sorry…" she sniffed, wiping at her eyes furiously "I'm- I just…"

He pulled her in, softly pressing his lips against her eyelids over and over again.

They spent the remainder of their waking moments whispering silent, soft exhilarations of what they had just done; of what the reality of the two of them meant. They caressed freely and lazily. The realization of how deeply happy she was made her soulful and scared at the same. She fell into slumber with the feeling of his fingers combing absently through her hair.

Then, the night turned; bringing them both fully into morning.

She moved to face him, carefully in the safe capture of his arms; an attempt to not wake him. She couldn't help but stare at his face. The pinks and yellows of the sunrise were glinting lightly off the golden hairs hanging over his eyes. She impulsively reached up; lightly pushing the strands away and resting her fingers tenderly at the base of his jaw.

It was hard to believe this was real. She was overwhelmed by just how much her body filled with feeling upon touching him. She was reminded of how often she had wanted to reach out; wanted the feel of his morning stubble against her palm. Now she could.

Her thumb traced his bottom lip; remembering how her teeth had not-so-tenderly tugged on that bit of flesh the night before.

Suddenly, the mouth she was outlining piqued at the corners; a soft chuckle coming from behind them.

"I'm never going to get any sleep if you keep doing that…", he whispered; the rugged pull of his drowsy voice causing a slight bumping in her heart.

"Mmm… Sorry-" she whispered; chuckling slightly. "I know you're not a morning person."

He smiled; his grasp shifting to pull her closer to him. She thought of all the mornings they had shared together; separated by sheets and beds and circumstance. How had she gone this long without waking in his possessive embrace?

He slowly opened his eyes. She watched as his gaze drank her in; eyes carving the small details of her morning countenance. He looked bleary and a little hesitant, as if he didn't quite believe what he saw in front of him. He looked like heaven.

"I've never had a morning like this.", he sighed, pressing his lips to the skin of her palm. They stayed like that for a moment; drinking each other in.

"I dreamt of you…", she whispered bashfully; spurred by the way his fingers were drowsily running rivets down her bare arms.

He chuckled; a faint warmth spreading across his cheeks. "I'm still not entirely convinced this isn't a dream…"

Her hands dropped; coming to rest against his chest. She could feel a heightened beating beneath the warm skin. It made her feel triumphant all over again.

"I feel so strange…", she gave; dropping her gaze from his.

"Good strange or bad strange?" He asked, his artful closeness halting momentarily.

She shook her head. "I just feel this- Lightness and this…"

She bit her lip, struggling to find the wistful words hovering between them.

"Contentment?", he supplied; smirking down at her. It was treacherous; how something as innocent as a knowing smile could be so downright... _sexy_.

She laughed, moving herself closer to him. "I feel like I could do anything-"

He moved too; his arms pulling her flush against him. She inhaled; relishing in the closeness of his scent.

" _What time is it_?" Came a muffled question. He was buried in her hair.

She sighed; looking out at the light rays pushing through the window "Too early..."

His fingers danced behind her; trailing at the base of the fabric she had thrown over herself the night before.

"You're wearing my shirt", he growled. She could hear a possessive smile beneath the sentiment,

"Oh, I'm sorry…", she whispered coyly; her fingers threading through the soft hairs at the base of his neck. "Do you want me to take it off..?"

She felt his body give momentarily; his mouth perching against the base of her neck. The motion held the same powerless defeat she saw in him as he moved above her the evening prior. It made her feel dizzy with awe.

" _Merlin_...I-", he breathed out; his hand moving beneath the fabric to skim the skin of her back. "This is real, right?"

She smiled; tentatively moving her bare leg to hook over him, bringing them closer. "I hope so…"

"Last night was…" He trailed off; bringing his eyes to meet hers.

She matched his look of reverence; shaking her head and drawing a deep sigh.

"Last night was…"

 _Indescribable, uncontainable, harmonious, magnificent, awe-inspiring, penultimate, perfect…_

She could not find the words. She settled on lifting her face to meet his and pressing a tentative, wistful kiss to his lips. He responded; capturing her face in his hands and leaning into her.

" _Merlin_ …" He groaned, in between kisses; as if the action alone was enough to undo him.

"-Should have…", she sighed back; meeting his ardent mouth "...done this…so long ago…"

"You're _bloody_ telling me…" He shook his head; his lips quirking at the corners. "I should have kissed you the night of the party…"

Her brow arched, "When I was drugged?"

"When we were _both_ drugged." He grinned, wickedly leaning in for another lingering kiss.

She giggled - _actually giggled_ ; wrapping her arms around his neck. She still had a hard time fathoming how quickly they had melted into the feel of each others bodies. It was as if they had spent years nestled in the safe crooks of necks and arms; instead of one solitary evening.

" _Apparently_ …" he continued; smirking down at her, "I look _great_ in a suit. Did you think I looked _great_ that evening?"

She muffled a groan; aware of the early hour and the thin walls of the home the two of them were occupying.

" _Fuck_ off…", she whispered; biting her lip to hold back a smile. "You _know_ you looked-"

"-You looked _unreal_. Aside from the magic, Rose…" he sighed, kissing her again. "I wish you could have seen you the way _I_ saw you… -Would have done _unspeakable_ things to you against that piano-"

"- _Scorpius Malfoy!"_ She cried; flushing from head to toe. His sentiment brought a heady rush of memory from the party in question. How exquisite would it be if timelines could be so altered…

"Hmm?", he bruised; still coyly hovering above her. "What a _sight_ our dear Mina would have seen."

Rose laughed; causing a jovial Scorpius to place a teasing thumb over her mouth.

" _Shh_ …" he chastised; raising a brow. "You'll wake the whole house…"

Rose rolled her eyes, ignoring the flare of heat rushing through her at his bold action. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

His gaze deepened, "I would… I want to scream it from the rooftops- Rose Weasley loves me… And I-"

He stopped; his eyes catching her faltering grin.

"...We can't.", she stammered; thinking of the drastic implication that would follow their romantic attachment. It would change everything. "With the contract and Mina and Albus and-"

"I know, I know…", he soothed lowering his stance. He was sensing her quick descent into panic. "Let's not spoil this…"

His gaze moved between the two of them. They were silent for a spell; Rose tremoring slightly with the unspoken question that stilted between their beating hearts. In the hazy, sleepy morning haven she did not have to think about what loving him would _mean_ for their lives. Outside of these walls; all of it would come crashing down on them. _When would be the right time? Would there ever be a right time?_

She placed a guilty hand on his cheek; hoping to fess a small measure of apology at their unfortunate circumstances. She watched him fracture and repair, just as he always did. The slight sadness from behind his eyes was gone in an instant.

His brow quirked, moving his mouth towards hers. "I'll just leak suggestive photos to the Daily Prophet-"

She gasped; a smile alighting her face at his jest " _Scorpius-"_

Her hands reached out to lightly chastise; but he was too quick; catching her wrists and leaning into her further. She cackled; refusing to let him get the upper hand. She maneuvered out from under; saddling both knees on either side of him and pinning him in place.

"-Golden Girl bags the White Knight.", he laughed; his hands sliding up to meet the thin fabric of her sleep shirt. She warmed instantly. "Classist Grandfather Rolling In His Grave."

She laughed as well; covering her face with her hands and sighing. When she pulled them away, he was looking at her with a strange, searching expression.

She flushed, She felt, all of a sudden, as if she was under a microscope; a beautiful, sinful microscope. "What..?"

He inhaled; bringing a hand up to grab onto her dangling fingers.

"I'm just remembering this…", he gave; a subtle seriousness beneath his tone. "Before life-"

He stopped; unable to form the words. She nodded; her interior humming with sentiment and trepidation. He sensed it; giving her a gentle smile.

"I must have thought of _this_...", His hands absently circled the legs currently straddling him; his smile turning from gentle to something more _wanting_. "A thousand times. How it would be... How you would look...How I would feel…"

She flushed again; the feeling heightened by his calloused fingertips lazily taking ownership of her bare thighs. "How do we measure against your expectations?"

The grinned turned from wanting, to downright devious. "Incomparable, Rose…"

"I like it when you say my name…", she whispered; leaning in hungrily. That wicked smile was truly a sight that would prove to be her ultimate undoing...

"I like it when you say _my_ name.", he teased; reaching out to draw in her encroaching form. He was referencing the exploding ecstasy he had caused in her the night before; where her mouth rolled over the syllables of his given name over and over again.

She rolled her eyes; aware of a blistering heat that was beginning to take ahold of the two of them. " _Stop…_ "

 _Merlin's beard_ , they were in trouble. It was too easy, too intoxicating. A look from him was enough to make her forget everything and lay into his blissful embrace for eternity. He kissed her lips softly; grabbing the back of her head and bringing her into him. She was not proud of the sound that escaped from her.

He _was,_ however; his mouth parting with a roguish smile.

"Rose…", He almost whined; regretfully detaching their lips so he could look her in the eyes. "I should probably go downstairs and pretend I've been sleeping on the couch your mother _so graciously_ made up for me…"

She made an incomprehensible noise of complaint; her body going slack against his.

"Because otherwise…", he laughed; catching her face in his hands "The whole house is going to rise soon and realize I've been camped in your bedroom since last night."

Her bottom lip protruded; eliciting another hearty chuckle from the boy beneath her.

"Are you _pouting_?" He cried; his eyes dancing.

"You're right…" She sighed, hoping to maintain a small shred of dignity. She fell back on the bed; sorrowfully retracting her legs from his torso and laying next to him in the cramped twin mattress. "Although- You don't think my mum already knows?"

"She _absolutely_ knows.", he nodded, turning to her with a smirk. "She caught me staring too many times to _not_ have some inkling…"

Her body ignited with feeling, relishing in the sweet indulgences of new love. He would slip things out like that; it made her feel giddy and overwhelmed all at once. It made her long for a simpler time; wishing she could have seen all the times where he had been staring, had been longing, had been seeking. She wished she could have stared back; bringing the space between them to a definite close.

"If you leave, that means real life starts…" She said with trepidation; her eyes holding traces of a deeper fear she was trying to keep at bay. She found her hand reaching out to rest against his cheek.

She was finding she loved the way her hand fit there; the tips of her fingers trailing the place where his jawbone met the delicate skin of his neck, her thumb brushing just below the hollows of his eyes. It felt safe and warm.

"I know….", He sighed, bringing his hand to meet hers. And he did know. She could see the resolve behind his eyes.

"Today is going to be really hard…", she said softly; her mind flashing to the evening prior. Her aunt's tears and grandfather's cries came rushing back in. It was all her mind could focus on; knowing that the remainder of the day would only be ten times worse.

"I know.", He repeated, brushing a stray hair from her face.

"My family…"

"They may surprise you." He sighed, giving her a soft smile. "Give them a little credit…"

She bit her lip. "You'll help with Al?"

"I'll do whatever you tell me to...", he breathed; a devious glint returning.

"Don't leave?", she pleaded softly; unable to bear the thought of her room without his warm, comforting presence. _Merlin, merlin merlin_ she was in _so_ much trouble.

Scorpius shook his head with disbelief, "I can't believe I'm willingly extracting myself from a bed you're begging me to stay in…"

"Ten more seconds….", she sighed; closing her eyes and protruding her bottom lip in added affect.

She felt his lips on hers; a deep sigh leaving him.

"Ten...nine...eight" He mused between kisses.

He did not leave after ten seconds. It took closer to ten _minutes_ to finally close her bedroom door and listen to his tentative footsteps creak down the stairs. It filled her with indescribable longing. She felt completely out of her mind. As she sank back into her bed, her eyes fixated on the glowing stars above, she felt the stark absence of his presence.

Though they had just begun on this treacherous, glorious adventure; she craved his touch, his smell, his...everything. She was so beyond gone, it was incomprehensible. She felt stir-crazy and messy and reckless and soulful. She felt microscopic and enormous all at once. She felt seventeen all over again. She felt like the future was so deliciously possible, she could taste it. And she wanted him right by her side. In all of it. _Merlin,_ she was in love. She was _in love_.

And, to be honest, she'd never felt more alive.

Awwwwww ! Did you love it? They're so in love I can't handle it.

Here's the playlist (All my favorite sentimental luvvvv songs) :

Lovers' Carvings - Bibio

Everywhere - Fleetwood Mac

From The Morning - Nick Drake

Plastic Soul - Mondo Cozmo

Contrast - Davis John Patton

Till There Was You - JJ Heller

Strawberry Blond - Mitski

As always, please review. They make my LIFE! Thank-you thank-you for all your support of this story, it means so much to me. Thank-you!


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